It may seem like an odd juxtaposition to hear of The Tallest Man on Earth covering Frank Sinatra. After all, the Swedish musician, né Kristian Matsson, has a distinct folk-rock sound pervading his solo career. It becomes less of a surprise, however, in light of the fact that the cover is of the tune “Cycles” (which, for Sinatra, is rather folksy) and that his performance is a guest spot at an Idiot Wind show – that is, Matsson’s wife Amanda Bergman.
Despite having styled her stage name after a Dylan song, Bergman’s sound is much more imbued with piano and crooning vocals than Matsson’s, and expectations of a Sinatra cover would hardly seem off the mark.
The team-up on “Cycles” is a beautiful one, and it seems almost as though the tune was written solely for Matsson’s dreamlike strumming and for the duo’s harmonizing. It’s a down-and-out kind of song, yes, but it’s a hopeful one and an uplifting one. What’s more, the duet hits just the right balance of Matsson’s raspy folk and Bergman’s gorgeous vocals and any lyrical slip-ups toward the end serve only to add to the song’s charm. Enjoy.
Idiot Wind and The Tallest Man on Earth – Cycles (Frank Sinatra Cover)
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