There's No Leaving Now

For Kristian Matsson, a.k.a. The Tallest Man on Earth, There's No Leaving Now is a radical departure from his previous output, though there have been hints along the way. The music here isn't radical—but for a man who's released a number of sparse, acoustic guitar and banjo albums that were compared to early Bob Dylan, the sound is fuller, with additional instrumentation making the case for his continued development. There's nothing glossy about the results. The core of the music is still Matsson's earnest voice and his unerring sense of melody. "To Just Grow Away" is an immediate charmer, with a jaunty groove that caresses his cavalier phrasing, where words disappear into the wonder of it all. His fingerwork on the album's two stripped-down tunes, "Leading Me Now" and "On Every Page", illuminate how the simplest touches change the outcome. "Bright Lanterns" adds a luminous lap steel guitar. "There's No Leaving Now" shifts to the piano for its high lonesome feel. It's an alluring mix of simplicity and smart musical touches.