Most of the time, if a singer/songwriter records an album of covers, it suggests they're either short on ideas or they're just goofing off. For Swedish tunesmith
Kristian Matsson
, better known to fans as
the Tallest Man on Earth
, his 2022 album
Too Late for Edelweiss
seems to fall into the latter category, though it was clearly a productive form of play rather than laziness. The album collects ten interpretations of songs from other artists that
Matsson
recorded in his home studio, and the set list is diverse enough to include tunes from the songbooks of
Ralph Stanley
,
Bon Iver
Lucinda Williams
Yo La Tengo
, and
the National
, among others. While
adds just enough home studio trickery to keep this from being just one guy with his guitar (or banjo) in his living room with occasional washes of electronic accompaniment, these performances are purposefully stark and simple. The focus is on
's voice throughout. As an interpretive vocalist, he handles these songs with skill and assurance; his versions of "In My Life" and "Fairest of the Seasons" won't make you forget
John Lennon
or
Nico
, yet he puts enough of his own personality and emotion into them that they stand on their own, and he adds a ghostly touch to "Lost Highway" (best known in its recording by
Hank Williams
) that honors the song's roots as well as bringing it into the present day.
was originally available only at the merch table at
's shows, and that suggests a proper context for it -- this is clearly a labor of love and a bit of fun that's best heard by
's loyal fans rather than being regarded as a major release in his canon. That said, it documents a fine singer putting his spin on some songs he clearly loves, and if you like
's originals, you should find this set of covers pleasing. ~ Mark Deming