The Tallest Man on Earth: There’s No Leaving Now

Lately, I’ve taken to revisiting the latest album from The Tallest Man on Earth – There’s No Leaving Now. It’s been a nice album to have in the background, looping away over and over again.

Normally, I think I’d shy away from Matsson’s style of singing: his voice breaks often, and at times his singing slides a bit into light wailing. But I find that I don’t seem to mind it much, and that kind of surprises me.

The album’s title song is probably my favorite – and one that’s gotten a lot of repeated play.

It’s hard for me to pinpoint why I seem to like this song so much much, and why I have it looping incessantly. I think a lot of it has to do with the refrain, and the slow, floating cascade that happens in terms of both volume and musical notes.

When he sings the refrain, he’s hitting those top two notes forcefully… and then slowly sliding down the scale, settling into the next line. This is the part I’m talking about:

The words are ok, but reading over these lines now… it’s the music that catches me, more than the lyrics. I think a big part of it too are the key changes that happen, both at the start of each couplet, and at the end as well.

This song is another contender for a fall playlist – the whole feel of it makes me think of turning leaves, tumblers of scotch, and a very slow breeze.

Related:
Ray LaMontagne: Shelter
Mojave 3: Prayer for the Paranoid
The Low Anthem: To Ohio