The Tallest Man on Earth – Henry St.

Review Score:

B+

The Unprecedented Times –

April 21 / 2023

Henry St. – The Tallest Man On Earth

Henry St. is some of The Tallest Man On Earth’s finest work in some time. While he has worked with a band in the past, Kristian Mattson sounds much more comfortable on this project. The first track begins as many TMoE songs do. A sweet, lonely acoustic guitar accompanied only by Mattson’s unique voice. But about a minute in, a drum kit locks into the groove and we are introduced to a crisp tone. Henry St. benefits not just from the sound of a full band, but also a more joyous tone than we typically hear from The Tallest Man on Earth. 

In some ways, Henry St. packs less of a punch than some of Mattson’s earlier work. I wouldn’t say this is necessarily a bad thing, though. It’s refreshing to hear a lighter, happier tone. His 2015 album Dark Bird Is Home was inspired by a darker time in his life, following his divorce and the death of a family member. Much of that project is hit or miss, but songs like “Sagres” used to soundtrack some of my teen years. So while we don’t get any grand artistic statements about recovering from a major life shift, Henry St. still manages to impress at times. It’s warm, it’s gentle, and it’s well produced. “In Your Garden Still” feels like the kind of carefree, summertime song we used to get in abundance pre-2012. The sugary, plucky guitar riff meshes fluently with the bouncing bass line. 

“New Religion” is one of the more stunning tracks from the album. The strings swell around some of the best writing from the entirety of Henry St.:

“There’s a dog in the neighbor’s field

Digging for, hell I don’t know, oh

Could I ever just lose myself?

Digging for my letting go.”

It doesn’t leave you with a hole in your heart, but Henry St. is a satisfying, natural expansion of The Tallest Man on Earth’s sound. Mattson’s collaboration with a full band sounds better developed here than in the past. It’s nice to hear the evolution of an artist who manages to stay true to their core while simultaneously growing. And growth is what Henry St. is all about.

Review Score: B+

Gubb wrote this review. You can’t get mad at Gubb.