Kristian Matsson is The Tallest Man on Earth, well he isn’t physically, it’s a by no means fitting moniker. Matsson is by no means short but he appears your average skinny indie folkster, however the music he produces is not average at all.
With comparisons to top folk musicians flying all over the shop Matsson is slowly but surely pulling away from these comparisons. This years release The Wild Hunt has received rave reviews and is possibly the main reason why this has not only been upgraded from Stereo but also sold out The Arches.
Matsson comes across as a slightly timid character for most of the set and mumbles to the crowd between songs to various degrees of amusement. An interchange with a fellow Swede in audience has Matsson, after a comment in English, quip: “did you understand that? We can do the rest in English them.”
There are no complaints from the crowd as Matsson apologises for the third time of the evening for an extending tuning, instead he is drowned in chants of “Graceland” calling for his version of the Paul Simon classic.
The cover doesn’t come but disappointment isn’t too high as tracks like ‘King of Spain’ and ‘The Gardener’ capture the crowds imagination as Matsson gives a master class in singer-songwriting.
As the encore hits in Matsson seems to up the pace for the first time in the set as he bobs away through his could be teen anthem ‘Kids on the Run’ before slowing it down again for the beautiful, closer from 2008’s Shallow Grave, ‘This Wind’.
The Tallest Man on Earth may not be all that his name suggests but it appears in the musical world he is getting bigger and bigger. The Wild Hunt has captured an audience and it won’t be long before people forget the Paul Simon covers and the Dylan comparisons and appreciate the singer himself.
Photo: Warrick Beyers
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