10. Dark Bird is Home / The Tallest Man on Earth

One of the warmest, prettiest records you will hear, and from Scandinavia no less.  On Dark Bird is Home, lush, mid-tempo folk songs are embellished with graceful horns, backing vocals, and Kristian Matsson's distinctive, Dylan-esque pipes.  Where the Swede's previous efforts were stripped down and spare, leaving his reedy voice to carry the melodies, his fourth studio album is the first to feature a full band throughout.  Surrounded by fulsome arrangements, Matsson lays bare his soul in heart-tugging fashion.

With music this well-worn and inviting, there is no reason to be estranged.  As Matsson sings, in a place like this I should never be afraid.  Isn't that the hope of every wanderer seeking the hearth they once knew?  Though Matsson describes the struggles and self-doubt of his journey, including divorce and the death of a loved one, he seems to find solace, or at least creates room for it to spring from his searching.

"Fields of Our Home" steadies itself with repeating acoustic strums, as keyboards, layered vocals, and trumpets fall into a gorgeous ending.  "Darkness of the Dream" favors a bouncy piano line and a full backing choir, and it is nothing short of lovely.  "Slow Dance" jitters along as far-away trumpets rise and fall throughout the track.  A brief silence gives way to Matsson's voice:  At times like these even travelers can win.  Reassurance follows in a cacophony of horns and oohs and aaahs.

"Timothy" is splendid fun, as Matsson employs a clarinet line that is difficult to get out of your head.  He plays more than a dozen instruments on the record, including guitar, banjo, pedal steel, alto horn, clarinet, omnichord, and tom-tom.  It is clear that his compositions have moved well beyond his expert-level skills on the acoustic guitar.

"Sagres" is arguably the record's best track, capturing its wayfaring spirit with sublime songwriting.  The cascading violins lead to a climax when Matsson finally faces the crippling doubt that has hounded him for too long.  By squaring it up in such a direct manner, recognizing and calling it out, Matsson seems to leave it behind, homeward bound.