The Tallest Man On Earth – Shallow Grave

I went to see this guy in concert a couple of weeks ago and was well impressed. For just one man with a guitar (and piano on occasion) he managed to hold the attention and keep the energy levels high of the quite sizable crowd in Vicar Street. It always pays to go and see an artist with an audience of real fans who sing along to every song and appreciate every little aside and story, it brings music to life, sometimes reinforcing your love of an old favourite or giving an extra dimension to an overlooked gem. That was the experience I had at the gig and it made me re-examine an album that I had only listened to in passing. Opening track I Won’t Be Found is a brilliant introduction to this modern Swedish troubadour, a warm cheery guitar sound and instantly singable lyrics. Honey Won’t You Let Me In is exhibit number one to back up claims that he’s the Scandinavian Dylan bearing a resemblance to Dylan’s When The Ship Come In. If you bear that comparison in mind then you’ll get a good grasp of the music contained on Shallow Grave but don’t think that The Tallest Man On Earth is a poor imitation. Songs like the brilliant The Gardener demonstrate his ability to write great lyrics accompanied by great musicianship. The Sparrow And The Medicine features some fantastic finger picking, playing that he struggled to reproduce live. If an album of a man singing clever lyric accompanied by a strummed acoustic guitar is your thing then this is one of the best out there at the moment…9/10