There’s No Leaving Now marks several significant developments in the career of Kristian Matsson. Matsson, after touring the world many times over, finally has the life experiences to match his world-weary persona, not to mention a weightier voice with which to describe them. Yet neither represents the biggest change for Matsson, who has once and for all shed the “indie’s Bob Dylan” label. That baggage had weighed down the Swedish troubadour for over half a decade. Mattson’s work, while still rooted in folk, is poppier than ever. Take the multi-layered “1904,” which features beautiful splashes of electric guitar over Matsson’s rhythmic acoustic work. Only a few years ago, such a gorgeous, balanced composition would have been impossible for Matsson. Yet this is a changed man and a stronger artist, and There’s No Leaving Now is a testament to these achievements…

Since the release of the first Tallest Man On Earth LP in 2006, Kristian Matsson has carved out quite the niche within the indie music world. Indisputably, he’s been boxed in as “indie’s Bob Dylan.” The fault for this lies with Matsson, as even 2010’s Sometimes The Blues Is Just A Passing Bird EP employs more than its fair share of Dylanisms. While it made for some fascinating and enjoyable music, eventually Matsson – like so many Dylan spawned artists – would either have to develop his sound further or risk fading into irrelevance. This is the very crossroads we find ourselves at with There’s No Leaving Now…