What a difference a year makes. When I saw Tallest Man last year at the 9:30 Club in DC, he was opening for John Van Der Slice and the audience seemed a bit confused by the man. Only about a third of them (150 or so) were there when he played and maybe half of them glanced in his direction (and his stoic stares into the crowd).
This time around Tallest Man made the audience wait. But his new album “The Wild Hunt†balanced out his debut “Shallow Grave†juxtaposed with the at times exultant and mythical “Wild Hunt.†The chopping guitar chords vs. the spare picking. Minor chords vs. major. It created the bedrock for strong emotions with the upward swing from “The Wild Hunt.†And the audience seemed a lot more appreciative this time around.
And with another year under his belt all (both experience and exposure), showed from the first song. “The Wild Hunt†and “A Thousand Ways†both seemed like a sort of undefined mythology with an edge. The timid Tallest Man of yesteryear was replaced by the powerful voice found on “The Wild Hunt.†And that voice and persona truly fit.
“Won’t Be Found,†“The Gardener,†and “Pistol Dreams†all bring the downward emotional swing from last year’s “Shallow Grave.†The expert picking and desolate lyrics demonstrated how far Tallest Man has come. Kristian (aka the Tallest Man) dedicated “the Gardener†to his tour manager with a hug then delivered a searing version of it.
But soon enough “Troubles Will Be Gone†and “The Burden of Tomorrow†swung the pendulum back up with this year’s new theme. Kristian would give little tid bits about each song but the truest words were the lyrics, the blues growl and plucked guitar strings. The bleak and the mythical merged with “Love is All.”
Despite his true solo status, Matsson seemed one of the most effortless yet emotional performers. A Tallest Man show connects the creation, performance and technical prowess of a songwriter and song. The emotions swung like a pendulum but the audience always fell back into some kind of equilibrium.
About the author: Jeff is a teacher in the Boston area. When not buried correcting papers, Jeff can be found plucking various stringed instruments and listening to all types of americana music.