Sweden’s The Tallest Man On Earth has announced his first album since 2012’s There’s No Leaving Now, out May 12th.
Pitchfork announced that Kristian Matsson, AKA, The Tallest Man On Earth, has announced the release of his fourth studio album, Dark Bird Is Home, set for release on May 12th via Dead Oceans Records.
The Swedish singer-songwriter has laid low since the release of 2012’s There’s No Leaving Now, which peaked at No. 14 on Sweden’s album charts and No. 35 on US album charts.
The making of his latest album Dark Bird Is Home, like his previous albums, was self-recorded at Matsson’s home studio. According to a recent press release, the album was recorded, “in various countries, studios, and barns, and they carry a weather-worn quality, some dirt and some grit.”
The press release also states that Matsson is “at his most personal and direct, deeper and darker than ever at times. Reliably, the melodies and arrangements are sturdy and classic, like old cars and tightly wound clocks. The lyrics and their delivery are both comforting and alarming, like tall trees and wide hills.”
The new album features collaborations with several guest singers, one only referred to as “Angel Vocals.”
The Tallest Man On Earth has been revered by critics since the release of his first album, 2008’s Shallow Grave, followed by the charting album, Wild Hunt. 2012’s There’s No Leaving Now received an 8/10 from both Spin and Clash.
The Tallest Man On Earth is often clumped with Bon Iver, as they share a management company and toured together in 2010. Matsson has claimed Bon Iver as an inspiration, as he stated in For Folks Sake,
“He’s such a big inspiration to me, maybe not just musically but emotionally too. Justin (Vernon) is such an inspiring person. It may sound pretentious, but For Emma, Forever Ago really changed my mindset and helped me to get to where I am.”
This summer, on July 17th and 18th, The Tallest Man On Earth will be playing at Justin Vernon’s Eaux Claire Festival, along with Low, Liturgy, Polica, S. Carey, Sylvan Esso, Sam Amidon, Phil Cook, Melt-Banana, Field Report, Doomtree, Colin Stetson, Charles Bradley, Boys Noize, BLind Boys of Alabama, Haley Bonar, Marijuana Deathsquads and more.
To preview his latest album, Matsson has released a teaser-trailer, which features a light guitar strum and follows Matsson as he walks through his backyard of Sweden. The video opens with Matsson stating, “This is not the end. This is fine.”
He goes on to say, “Sadness, guilt, daydreaming, hopefulness…” Hopefully these words are a preview of the themes his new album will be exploring, with a maturity and wisdom developed from his first records.
The Tallest Man On Earth’s upcoming album, Dark Bird Is Home, will be released on May 12th, and in the meantime, you can watch his preview trailer below.
Dark Bird Is Home Full Track List
Track 01. Fields of Our Home
Track 02. Darkness of the Dream
Track 03. Singers
Track 04. Slow Dance
Track 05. Little Nowhere Towns
Track 06. Sagres
Track 07. Timothy
Track 08. Beginners
Track 09. Seventeen
Track 10. Dark Bird Is Home
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