On Dark Bird is Home, singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson — aka The Tallest Man on Earth — sheds the folksy tropes that once earned him the title of the "Swedish Bob Dylan"; instead, he opts to work with a richer palette, both sonically and thematically.
Instead of simply plugging in, The Tallest Man on Earth maintains the traditional acoustic elements, while filling out his trademark minimalist sound with comparatively complex instrumentation.
Using the first track to ease in, "Fields of Our Home" begins with strummy acoustic guitar and slowly adds layers of vocal harmonies that build throughout the rest of the album. On the most subdued tracks (like "Singers"), Matsson's gentle clarinet weaves in and out of solemn lyrics, while songs that feature fleeting, happy memories (such as "Slow Dance") are underscored by upbeat horns. The middle of the record gives way to its climax, "Sagres": a deeply personal number that employs rich strings, flowing vocal harmonies, and even castanets. By the end, The Tallest Man on Earth has blossomed into a full band, launching into a finale on the title track that is complete with keys, drums, harmonies and synths.
"I guess my rhythm grew through my darker time," Matsson sings, though that's not the only thing that's matured since his last record. Dark Bird Is Home demonstrates significant growth thematically, with the songwriter earnestly confronting his recent experience with loss (through both death and divorce) as well as his own shortcomings.
Lyrically, Matsson delves deeper into his inner monologue on Dark Bird Is Home than he has on any other Tallest Man record. Gone are the days of running from anxieties and hiding behind what we've come to expect from The Tallest Man on Earth: rich imagery paired with vague emotion. On "Darkness of the Dream," Matsson is at his most self-aware, singing "get some rest from all the songs you make," before conceding "they're all a bunch of mirrors, and f*** it, I'm afraid."
He painstakingly analyzes the past, while taking care to preserve the happier memories that make it all the harder to let go. This is no easy task, and Matsson's exhaustion with the process is marked with tired sighs and mumbled profanities throughout — little imperfections that add such authenticity and familiarity that the record would be sorely lacking without them.
The next Tallest Man on Earth tour will be Matsson's first with a full band, a thought that may elicit skepticism from those who have seen him perform before. It shouldn't. Dark Bird Is Home brandishes a grander version of The Tallest Man on Earth, but it doesn't take for granted the simplicity and intimacy that fans have come to know and love.