| |
|  |
 | Tracklist:
1. The Wild Hunt
2. Burden of Tomorrow
3. Troubles Will be Gone
4. You're Going Back
5. The Drying of the Lawns
6. King of Spain
7. Love is All
8. Thousand Ways
9. A Lion's Heart
10. Kids on the Run
| Ranking: #1 for 2010 | |
|
On 435 Lists
|
| Summary: The Wild Hunt is an album built on contradictions, and is all the better for it. |
I’m not about to say that the comparison isn’t inviting, or even inaccurate, but the off-handedness with which many compare Kristian Matsson to early Bob Dylan is really starting to irk me. Yes, the two are folk mavericks whose material is instrumentally skeletal, and, yes, both have voices that are acidic and abrasive, as well as emotional and humane. Yada yada yada. But while Dylan uses his music as a platform, Matsson’s stuff is much more for himself, being expressive but fragile in how personal these expressions are; almost as if his whole “making music” thing is only therapeutic, and thus only released to the public because it’s just too damn good for it not to be. To further clarify: Matsson’s music is filled with statements like “I’m the light of the middle of every man’s fall” and “I want to be the King of Spain”, but also “love is fake; so I get hurt”, in almost the next breath. Dylan, as damn good as he is, never got that wide-ranging in his early days; he never went for the heartstrings or tried to emphasize with all those messy emotions of the listener – perhaps only because he didn’t give a shit. But Matsson does, or at least his songs are genuine enough for me to think so, and this is why the Dylan-TMOE comparison is thus rendered moot.
It’s also why, by God, I might even like Matsson more than Dylan. Matsson makes music that is emphatic and nostalgic and expressive, all of these at once, which is something someone like me needs most of the time, something I can feed on. Like, those emotions and shit, or just something relatable to get me through the night with having to resort to getting totally fucked. It’s all needed. This makes The Wild Hunt kind of like a little revelation, then. Armed with nothing more than some sort of hidden, God-given knowledge of how the human mind actually works, and an acoustic guitar (and a piano holy shit!), Matsson becomes an actual artist right before our eyes on this, his best album. He trumps his incredible debut in every way without resorting to drastic tactics in order to avoid some sophomore slump, instead subtly perfecting his approach to great effect.
Like its predecessor, The Wild Hunt is built upon swift, brisk melodies and a mastery of the acoustic guitar; the ability to fingerpick gingerly than strum violently without even a second going past, and without ever seeming flashy. Yet while Shallow Grave was almost completely a hard-hitting, gut-punching affair, shouting declarations constantly, on The Wild Hunt Matsson has learned to affect a whisper, or at least be a little softer when the occasion strikes. Sure, on a song like “Troubles Will Be Gone”, Matsson still gets all soulful and expressive, turning that shit up to 11 and maximizing the capabilities of his angelic vocals. But check out that subdued acoustic performance; check out how Matsson relies almost only on lighter tones and almost never on chords, how he lets the fragility of his vocals show through his playing. The hopeful lyrics confirm it: Matsson has learned to convey a breezy lightness that wasn’t quite present on Shallow Grave, an album that could’ve used the reprieves that are numerously provided here, with “The Drying of the Lawns” and “Thousand Ways” following narrowly in the footsteps of “Troubles Will Be Gone”. This lighter touch makes these songs initially seem unwieldy; someone used to the directness of Shallow Grave might find these initially unremarkable. But the moment when something as subdued as “The Wild Hunt” finally shows its true brilliance (mind you, it shouldn’t really take that long) makes the wait all the better.
Yet there’s songs like “King of Spain” on The Wild Hunt, which is much more of the wild affair suggested by the album’s title. Matsson’s tale of chasing tail in a country far south of his own is sprightly and humorous, and Matsson’s voice simply roars when he reaches the song’s most exciting moments, being its chorus. It’s his best and most wide-reaching song, as well as being fucking catchy. It, and “You’re Going Back” and “A Lion’s Heart”, are affirmations that Matsson’s still your go-to guy for guiding lost souls (including your own) through some truly heavy stuff, without leaving any mess behind. These songs are concise and exacting, and the balance they create with songs like “Love is All” (which is ingeniously placed right after “King of Spain”) is what makes The Wild Hunt such an improvement on its predecessor. Not everything’s loaded with aggression or melancholy here; there’s balance and order. If Shallow Grave was an album that said “I Will Not Be Found”, than The Wild Hunt’s one that says “Trouble Will Be Gone” – accepting, rather than rejecting. Its impact resonates far further.
And “Kids on the Run” is this resonation. His first piano ballad, Matsson gives more than his all on this apt closer, a nostalgic, yet somewhat worrisome (“Will we ever confess for what we done?”, it asks, before dismissing the question with an uncertain “I guess we’re just kids on the run”) song that thoroughly sums up The Wild Hunt, a rollercoaster of expression and not-expressing and soft and loud and singing and bellowing manically – its all recapitulated with a song that’s so uncertain it’s off-putting. Yet I can’t imagine a better way for The Wild Hunt to end. As an album that seemingly understands so much about the human condition, what better way to close than to simply speak the truth – who knows what the fuck the future stores, for me or you or The Tallest Man on Earth or anyone else? And who cares? In the song, Matsson, as the narrator, doesn’t as long as he has his unnamed female counterpoint. I’m not about to say an album can replace something like that, but damn – all hyperbole aside, The Wild Hunt’s pretty close.
|
| Recent reviews by this author | | | |
Album Rating: 5 | Sound Off
Fantastic review, I love this album in the way it irks you with its subtle warmth.
Digging: S. Carey - Hoyas Digging: S. Carey - Hoyas | | |
I'm so excited for this. And this review just added on to my excitement.
| | |
Fantastic review. this is why you're one of my favorite reviewers on Sputnik. Album is best of the year so far... along with King of Spain and Kids On the Run being the two best songs so far, or pretty close to it.
| | |
this album is just the best, nice review
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
looka t cam, just posting whenever h eWANTS
Digging: Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns Digging: Simian Mobile Disco - Unpatterns | | |
rudy stop being drunk. way to kill the mood.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
great review, loved the point on the "king of spain" "love is all" sequencing, dead on.
This album's going to be in my top 3 by the end of the year i dont know where yet but in the top 3 for sure
Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon Digging: Mount Eerie - Clear Moon | | | Album Rating: 4.5
drunk ass rudy. stunning album
Digging: Love American - Disquiet Digging: Love American - Disquiet | | | Album Rating: 5 | Sound Off
Rudy is always drunk
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
don't judge me eric
btw amazing this albuym has a 4.3 ratig with 63 ratings
| | |
yeah dougie i think the rule is that you have to wait until a stream until you can post yours, don't hold me to that though man
and woo drunk rudy
| | |
the key when you come back to your room drunk at 2am is to comment on something obscure, not what's sure to be the most popular review over the next few days... trust me.
but yeah, this album should enjoy its glory til MTB and Gaslight Anthem release.
| | | Album Rating: 5 | Sound Off
cool man i will hold my horses.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
i don't discriminate between whats popular and whats not - i comment on sick reviews, and cam is my seceret lover so i had to give him props. this album fucking rules
also i'm not quite durnk yet
| | | Album Rating: 4.5
also i'm not quite durnk yet
there's your problem.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
i type too fast bro
| | | Album Rating: 5 | Sound Off
i don't discriminate between whats popular and whats not
should run for president.
| | | Album Rating: 5
This album is the SHIT. And I couldn't imagine writing a better review, Cam. Bravo.
| | | Album Rating: 4.5 | Sound Off
the fuck's up cam
| | | Album Rating: 5
Ace review. Album is awesome.
| | | |
|
|
Stumble
Digg
Twitter
Del.icio.us
