There’s No Leaving Now

Kristian Matsson may not really be the Tallest Man, but he may be close to the man catching the most hearts. His songcraft here is intricate and undoubtedly heart-wrenching. It’s impossible to ignore his vocals’ roughness, which comes off as a desperate attempt to convey emotion through one three-minute acoustic gem after another. But it’s desperate in a good way, as if he’s frustrated with all those songwriters hiding behind sappy metaphors. The Swedish native’s gorgeous finger-picking swims underneath his growled poetry quickly and fluidly. On the title track, he stretches out his fingers on the piano for a quiet punch to the gut. If Matsson’s declaration in “Wind and Walls” is true — this is not the future, but I sense it’s right up there — hearts will be aching for what’s to come.