Review Summary: The Tallest Man on Earth's first ever release demonstrates everything that makes him one of the most talented songwriters around.
It’s common for a highly acclaimed band or musician’s first album to be overlooked. It’s often assumed that it pales in comparison to more successful and definitive releases that come out later on in their career, and as a result it’s often forgotten about or never really listened to at all. Taking the time to go back and carefully listen to these first efforts, especially in the context of their current discography, can provide dividing results. Often they’re ignored for good reason; they present a band that hasn’t really found their sound yet, resulting in a record that offers insight into how they’ve progressed musically, but also one that’s devoid of all the elements and refinements that make their later works so admired. Other times however, you’re left with something just as good as anything else they’ve put out, and why it hasn’t gotten the same amount of attention as their other work is a mystery.
The Tallest Man on Earth’s self-titled debut is one of those. Despite it being an EP and only running just over 15 minutes, it encapsulates everything that makes his 3 LPs and one other EP so captivating and strangely immersing. Opening track “It Will Follow the Rain” immediately showcases his uncanny finger picking ability (impressively quick and complex despite being repetitive) as well as his unique and frankly odd singing voice. He’s far from what would be considered a “good” singer, at least by conventional standards, but there’s no denying that its ruggedness fits his musical style perfectly. He pours emotion into every track, but at the same time makes it sound effortless. “Steal Tomorrow” for example epitomizes his sound – rapid guitar playing coupled with occasionally beautiful, nature-inspired lyrics, something he does with such ease that it’s easy to forget how well executed it is. His guitar work, often open-tuned, is always impressive and helps create a sound that truly belongs to him. It’s a shame that the lyrics go back and forth between poetic and vague to the point of being nonsensical, as it takes away from the emotional impact they could have had, especially when combined with such impressive guitar playing. His lyrics are definitely more enjoyable the less they’re really analyzed, as their inconsistency can be frustrating, but the imagery they provoke suits the music perfectly.
The Tallest Man on Earth is one of the most consistent songwriters around, and revisiting his first release just affirms what his later albums suggest; this man is incapable of writing a bad song. Although his lyricism leaves something to be desired, there’s no denying that he writes some of the most downright gorgeous acoustic folk songs of any musician making music today.
