Mattson sticks to a few themes, lyrically, those being: weather, changing seasons, animals, and dreams, which might look tacky on paper, but which he keeps interesting and intriguing. Lyrics such as, '. . . boiled the curtains to extract the drugs of springtime", leave room for interpretation.
The Wild Hunt starts off with a strong title track. However, from the beginning, it is evident he has tweaked his sound. For starters, the song includes two instrumental parts, a banjo and a guitar. This may seem insignificant, but it is a far cry Shallow Grave where each song had just one instrumental line.
The lyrics shift slightly as well. Although he sticks to his choice themes, his lyrics are slightly more. . . accessible. They speak of leaving and the "wild hunt". This sets the tone for the whole album.
What's evident by the 4th song or so, is that this album, intentionally or not, is something of a concept album. It starts of with a character pursuing his dreams with conviction. He is saying, "I'm running free, so don't expect me to call." From there, the tone becomes more hopeful, but also more melancholy. The theme of dreams still holds, but the dreams are more hopeful of a better tomorrow, as opposed to fantastical aspirations.
By the fifth track, Drying of the Lawns, these dreams are crumbling. The character's lover tells him she's leaving because ". . . you don't feel what you're dreaming of." Their life is dull, likened to drying of the lawns. The next song, King of Spain, is a triumphant retort. The character asks his lover, "why are you stamping my illusion?"
In stark contrast, the following song is a low moment for the character, claiming he "doesn't dream anymore". He goes on to say, "I said I could rise from the harness of our goals. . ."
From here, the story arc becomes less lucid. Thousand Ways seems like something of an homage to a classic folk theme, the cycle of time. Lyrics speak of living through ". . . a thousand wakes of springtime". Thousand Ways, coupled with the final two songs on the album, illustrate the character in old age. A Lion's Heart describes the character looking on a kid being invigorated by life and dreams just as he once was.
In the final song, Kids on the Run, Kristian Mattson takes a completely unexpected turn. He abandons his mainstay guitar and banjo for a warm piano. This is a last introspection, where the character takes a walk through his life and proclaims to his lover, ". . .we're still kids on the run."
This release shows us that Matsson can write beautiful songs as well as strong, conceptual albums. In an age when singles on itunes are becoming more prominent than strong albums, he manages to walk the line, writing infectious songs such as King of Spain, while still keeping singular songs as part of the whole. The ground that Mattson is trodding is not new, not even to him. However, his continued ability to expand his sound and surprise us is commendable. As sophomore releases go, this is strong and speaks to a bright future.
If you like it, buy it: Buy
myspace: If you like him, see him perform
-Diner
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