Moving, introspective indie folk from Swedish singer-songwriter Kristian Matsson. First and foremost, you can’t ignore the uncanny similarities to Bob Dylan—in both vocal intonation and songwriting. Perhaps a more apt name would have been Highway 61 Re-Revisited. Putting that aside, it’s nice to see him branch off the fanboy path into a far more mature and sophisticated realm. Sure, many of the songs are brittle and stripped down, but they are all saturated with the warm tranquility of escapism—they promise a quiet retreat and a return to solitude in a world where it is becoming harder and harder to be alone. This is a great debut full-length, completely deserving of the inevitable buzzy accolades it will pick-up from the Blogs That Be.

FCC CLEAN

RIYL: Bob Dylan, Fleet Foxes, The National, Johnny Flynn, Perfume Genius

*1. Galloping, swingy Americana with wistful piano and strummy chords. Indie rock at its finest.
*2. Coarse, pained lyrics and thick, dense instrumentation with a touch of blues. Great interplay between the acoustic and electric guitar.
3. Rootsy ballad with bold acoustic guitar and quick fretwork.
*4. Lead single. Upbeat and bouncy with strong lyrics and gruff Dylanesque intonation.
5. Slow, pensive. Country vibes, slide guitar, etc. Think along the lines of Prairie Wind Neil Young.
6. Suspenseful piano intro—slow and stripped down with pained lyrics.
*7. Dense and upbeat. Poppy—lots of layered strummy guitar and a bit of fiddle.
*8. Smooth midtempo fingerwork, breathtaking vocals, touching lyrics.
*9. Midtempo, excellent lyrics, probably the best guitarwork on the album.
10. Sparse, minimal guitar + crooning.