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Though he comes from Dalarna (a town near Stockholm), Kristian Matsson’s music has never sounded particularly Swedish. It’s usually influenced more by American folk and blues than by anything from his own country. But on his new EP, there’s an unmistakable tinge of Scandinavian melancholy. Ironically, it’s the first album he’s recorded entirely away from home.
Written and recorded on the road during a long North American tour supporting his recent full-length, The Wild Hunt, the five tracks maintain a consistently downtrodden tone. He’s abandoned the more triumphant moments on his first two LPs for songs clearly informed by homesickness. It could be a slog, but at just 17 minutes it never gets tiresome.
Matsson even goes electric on The Dreamer. But rather than eliciting cries of “Judas,” it just adds another dark shade in his richly hued palette.
Top track: The Dreamer