The Tallest Man On Earth

A packed, expectant Electric Ballroom welcomed on stage Idiot Wind’s deep enchanting voice. The simultaneously life partner and support act for Kristian Matsson comfortably slipped into the big shoes any act with a Dylan reference in its name has to walk on. Amanda Bergman’s stunningly sweet and rough voice fused into the pretty, yet simple, melodies her Yamaha piano filled the room with, creating a quietness of approval that silenced even the more chatty spectators.

The Swedish singer-songwriter then jumped on a seemingly too big stage, armed with his best weapons: his metallic, cigarette tainted, wide-ranged voice and four guitars. From the first note in the continuous guitar-picking sequence that was his show, one could immediately witness the stage-filling personality of Sweden’s best music export in the last years. TMOE showed that stage size doesn’t matter, as his beautifully complex poetry-filled melodies can engage any soul in any venue.

Then comes a well chosen progression of songs from his critically acclaimed albums “Shallow Grave” and “The Wild Hunt” and latest EP “Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird” with some quality and humorous talking interludes filling the gaps between songs. Each picture painted by his bird and countryside reference-filled poems makes you travel to a place you have never been, though it feels like you have visited it all your life. ‘King of Spain’, ‘The Gardner’ and ‘Where Do My Bluebird Fly’ caught the crowd’s attention but the power and beauty of the lyrics of ‘Troubles Will Be Gone’, ‘Pistol Dreams’ and ‘Love Is All’ conquered our admiration.

Yes, admiration. Kristian can control the progression of a melody with his interlacing of shouts and growls with whispering and voice breaks like no one else. Even the few seconds in between songs he spent changing the tuning of his many guitars sounded perfect. But not as perfect as the end of his set, a duet interpretation of ‘Thrown Right At Me’ with his soul mate.

The Tallest Man on Earth showed that he is not the new Bob Dylan. Anyone present in the Camden venue could see that he is much more than that. He is the tallest man in folk.