<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Nordic Music Review]]></title><description><![CDATA[Nordic Music Review]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Thu, 14 May 2026 17:10:06 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Club 8  - ‘Echoes of our Time’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Unlike my idol Andy who has an extensive knowledge of all the musicians who we feature, I don’t. And I know that breaks all the rules in every writer’s guidebook, but I’d like to use that to our advantage.  It’s fun blind reviewing a new song and basing all my ‘judgment’ merely on what I hear and feel, not on what I know about the artist. So with that said, today’s drug is Swedish duo Club 8’s new single, “Echoes of our Time.” Dreamy, synth, slightly electronic, and very indie-pop, this song...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/club-8-echoes-of-our-time-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69f4e6089014410369550fbe</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 01 May 2026 17:44:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_dc0693c5124340e1bf852362e94fd52b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Harriett Claire Torreon</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Dahmers - In the Dark (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[This review holds two firsts: 1) it’s my first time reviewing for NMR in a long time and 2) it’s my first time hearing of The Dahmers. “In the Dark” is the band’s third and final single from new album “Creature Feature” which was released yesterday. Initially listening to “In The Dark" and checking out their socials, I can already pick up what the whole appeal of the band is. They (probably) love horror, the occult, and they make good music.  Although one thing I do struggle to grasp is the...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/the-dahmers-in-the-dark-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6ed4259510b2bf934b2</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 15 Feb 2026 10:49:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_989eba99eb454bd4976ae58c2a66e9b4~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_300,h_300,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Harriett Claire Torreon</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ISA  - ‘Thinking About Tomorrow’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Of course, as I’ve said many times before, when I’m in charge of the Universe I will use my powers wisely to immediately legislate that any new artist / band has to name themselves in such a unique way that they’re easily found online and on Spotify - so I’m not searching through photos of hip replacement operations (Danish band Total Hip Replacement), endless pictures of fjords (Norwegian band The Fjords), and now Tax Incentivised Investment Schemes (ISA of Sweden). But I promise you ISA is...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/isa-thinking-about-tomorrow-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6de4259510b2bf9245f</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 16:27:23 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_3b6b91eea22c432aa1a84cf37d5f8f2c~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Misty Coast  - ‘Hallucinating’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are certain phrases that immediately feel familiar round here, and “losing your grip on reality” is definitely one of them - as regular readers will testify. So it feels entirely appropriate that Misty Coast have returned with a song based around that subject: ‘Hallucinating’, focussing on that blurred space between clarity and confusion. It also arrived at the same time as Misty Coast (along with VEPS) were announced for Indiefjord Festival, pretty much our favourite indie band at our...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/misty-coast-hallucinating-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e34259510b2bf92aa1</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 21:22:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_df026345e9d3470a8e20296ddae55414~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Rädslan  - ‘Offline’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I liked the new Rädslan track ‘Offline’ as soon as I heard it at the weekend. It’s energetic, raw, and driven with real purpose, but I also wasn't quite sure whether it belonged in our slightly skewed and weird universe. It is very focused and direct, and with the lyrics in Swedish I didn’t know if it was something which would quite resonate - lyrical content is always important to me.  So, anyway, in a rare moment of actual diligence, I asked the band what the song was about. It turns out...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/r%C3%A4dslan-offline-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e24259510b2bf928cf</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 18:02:33 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_2821300ab3024eeda1b1c25a68afd5a6~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Album of the Week: Phogg  - ‘I Need You Without Fear’]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s a couple of reasons why I’ve stopped writing detailed album reviews. The first is that I think music is so accessible now that people just want to be pointed in a helpful direction and listen for themselves, and don’t necessarily want to read 1000 words of me just wittering nonsense about hats and Lemon Meringue Pietini's. The second is perfectly summed up by the new Phogg album ‘I Need You Without Fear’, which is that most albums I really like are so complex they take 3-6 months of...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-phogg-i-need-you-without-fear</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6eb4259510b2bf93337</guid><category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 12 Feb 2026 13:43:48 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_55381e47d7774465b74e53eae9f952dd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Birds are better  - ‘Hymns for the Hope and the Sorrow’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I always have a bias for gentle indie folk music, so when Birds are better released his latest single ‘Hymns for the Hope and the Sorrow’, I was pretty sure I’d like it. Fronted by Stian Fjelldal, Birds are better is an Oslo-based folk band birthed from the former’s desire to make music that he’d actually enjoy if he were a listener. This isn’t Stian’s first musical expression as he has been making music for many years (we briefly featured a previous album), even releasing some work under...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/birds-are-better-hymns-for-the-hope-and-sorrow-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e44259510b2bf92b12</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 19:34:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_2a83ebb5e92e4686b38bd127dddf401d~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_800,h_800,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Indiefjord 2026 - Misty Coast, Veps and Selma announced, tickets on sale….]]></title><description><![CDATA[We should have between 5-10 features this week partly  thanks to Harri finally returning from Tuvalu, and which hopefully will include Phogg, Girl Scout, Vilde Bye, The Dahmers and one of our favourite bands, Norwegian duo Misty Coast.  That gives us the perfect excuse to give a quick mention to this years Indiefjord festival, which takes place on 11th and 12th July 2026.  It is the most astonishing festival, which you can read about here, and they've hosted some of our favourite bands over...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/indiefjord-2026-misty-coast-veps-and-selma-announced-tickets-on-sale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6df4259510b2bf925eb</guid><category><![CDATA[Features ]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 08 Feb 2026 20:18:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_42fc73daf3f244378345876ba60fd01b~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Meraung  - ‘Smells Like the Sun’ (single from EP ‘Change’)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Regular readers will know, of course, that we discovered Pinegaze last week, a genre of music specifically aimed at Scandinavian musicians who spend their time starting slightly mournfully into a forest.  It’s a genre cousin of Shoegaze, which we haven’t featured much so far this year, so we’re delighted to introduce Indonesian band Meraung, who’ve just released EP ‘Change’. Meraung, of course, means “roar”, with the band helpfully explaining to us that the name was chosen because the...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/maraung-smells-like-the-sun-single-from-ep-change</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6ed4259510b2bf9353d</guid><category><![CDATA[EPs]]></category><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 06 Feb 2026 15:20:44 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_e33511fccf6d42ada2b47385e793387e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Fake Mannequin (Denmark) - ‘Same Tree’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Fake Mannequin arrive with debut track ‘Same Tree’, and it’s an interesting, if  slightly unsettling, first impression from the Danish duo. Built on machine-driven beats and a hazy nod to 90s trip-hop, early Massive Attack perhaps, the track moves with a steady, hypnotic determination. I really like the vocals here, but they will slightly mess with your head. They drift between something almost innocent and something far more commanding, occasionally sounding like two different personalities...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/fake-mannequin-denmark-same-tree-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e54259510b2bf92cd7</guid><pubDate>Thu, 05 Feb 2026 21:08:24 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_017be5257bf1415d95744837367bc15f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_636,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Album of the Week: Bellefolie (Norway) - ‘Beautiful Madness’.]]></title><description><![CDATA[“If the world is at stake, but you feel nothing.” That’s how Bellefolie describes ‘Beautiful Madness’, and it turns out to be an accurate way in, with opening track ‘Modern Apathy’ setting the tone perfectly. Lyrically it gets your mind working straight away:  “Apples hoppin’ off trees into modern apathy, they don’t sound alive at all, staring into coloured walls”, a line that neatly sets out the albums temperature. While the opener quickly grabs your attention, it’s the instrumental sections...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-bellefolie-norway-beautiful-madness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e84259510b2bf92f4d</guid><category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 03 Feb 2026 08:16:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_3920bda9d9fb4fb4bf6ac81c7c7234d2~mv2.webp/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nordic Music Review Playlist - January 2026]]></title><description><![CDATA[It’s a welcome update to our Nordic Music Playlist, featuring some of our favourite tracks from the year so far, including our Single of the Week Major Parkinson, the also featured Green Tea Bitches, an excellent track from The Dahmers, a new one from The School Book Depository that we hope to cover in more detail, previously featured Club 8 and JUNG, and many more.]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/nordic-music-review-playlist-january-2026</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e54259510b2bf92cd6</guid><pubDate>Tue, 27 Jan 2026 07:30:11 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_89faf11f7a234189aa0962908dae7429~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ÅHM  - ‘Broken Beam’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I found myself searching through sites like MetaCritic and AlbumoftheYear this morning to try and find new post-rock releases I might have missed, but couldn’t quite find anything that stirred my interest, so it was genuinely lovely to be sent the brand new single by Swedish band ÅHM this afternoon, whom I hadn’t come across previously. And having now spent some time with their earlier tracks, ‘Broken Beam’ feels like the most assured thing ÅHM have released so far. There’s real depth here, ...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/%C3%A5hm-broken-beam-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6df4259510b2bf925f8</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 18:18:07 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_fbe652c9f4bd4d58a5041c9077bcc65f~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Phogg  - ‘Tears’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[We’ve really been treated this week. Firstly Major Parkinson presented their view of the apocalypse, all horns, grand ideas and the faint suggestion of a helicopter or three, and then NMR favourites Phogg  arrive with their final track before the releases of their new album. And as ever, the first rule of Phogg Club applies: you never quite know what’s in the Phogg  curiosity box until you open it. What’s inside this time is ' Tears' , and straight away we should acknowledge that we were not...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/phogg-tears-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e24259510b2bf929a9</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2026 17:08:47 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_aeeb99c699ae45f7adc3056ff7f65937~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_700,h_700,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Single of the Week: Major Parkinson  - Viva the Apocolypse! (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[If the apocalypse really was approaching, I’ve often wondered what the correct response would be. Panic buy pasta? Drive aimlessly and check into a slightly damp end-of-days hotel in Torquay with “ Sea View (Weather Permitting) ” on the sign, queue politely for a final ice cream, and buy a commemorative tea towel? Or maybe, and this feels increasingly sensible, the logical option would be to head to Norway to see a Major Parkinson  live show, on the basis that if the world is ending you might...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/single-of-the-week-major-parkinson-viva-the-apocolypse-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e64259510b2bf92d89</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 25 Jan 2026 09:54:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_0b5699eccad84bf3b6bc3a10b26ffa10~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_425,h_425,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Quiet North  - ‘Tremble’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I wrote about noisy post punk outfit Green Tea Bitches earlier this week, and couldn’t help pointing out that we do spend a fair amount of time featuring artists that we love very much, but that do seem to spend a disproportionate amount of time staring slightly sadly into a pine forest.  Of course I missed the obvious point that this should be a genre in its own right, a distant cousin of Shoegaze, known as Pinegaze  (other Nordic tree species are available) and The Quiet North  even has a...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/the-quiet-north-tremble-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6eb4259510b2bf93230</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 20:08:36 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_1a9bdeceb3314dda8ab576b88eb8c592~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Nordic Album of the Week: Kleo  - Event Horizon]]></title><description><![CDATA[Copenhagen based artist Kleo  has released her album ‘ Event Horizon ’ through Tambourhinoceros, a soft intimate record that rewards close listening.  Built around gentle vocals, subtle electronics, and beautifully restrained string arrangements, it has a calmness to it that makes it easy to enjoy on 1st listen. The lyrics are thoughtful, warm and human too, and you you will really understand Kleo by the end of it. ‘ Stars and UFO’ s feels particularly close up and personal, ‘ Boys ’ is...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/nordic-album-of-the-week-kleo-event-horizon</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6eb4259510b2bf9331c</guid><category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 19:02:37 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_9be0124b2b3a46daacc24e4bafc7e493~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_600,h_618,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Green Tea Bitches (Denmark / China) - ‘Bad Taste’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[So here’s a typical Nordic Music Review curiosity who’ve just released their debut track and probably haven’t been featured in many places. Green Tea Bitches  are a Chinese / Danish electro post-punk outfit who seem to thrive on contradiction, describing debut track ‘ Bad Taste’ as either “really bad pop” or “really cool post-punk,” depending on your perspective. They’re also probably too Chinese for Denmark, too Danish for China, and too loud for almost everyone. But not for us, of course....]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/green-tea-bitches-denmark-china-bad-taste-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e74259510b2bf92e5c</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jan 2026 08:11:39 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_f3dfa3aea0b94a798a2c16bb72596e50~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Tigers &#38; Flies (UK) - ‘Expanded Play’ (Album)]]></title><description><![CDATA[I finished the year with This Heel, the prolific Swedish outfit led by Martin Månsson Sjöstrand, and it turns out Manchester-based Tigers &#38; Flies operate in a remarkably similar musical universe - one where sharp, shout-along Pop Punk tunes are balanced with deliberate, organised chaos. They’ve recently released an album entitled ' Expanded Play' , which helpfully does exactly what it suggests by combining a couple of EPs from the last few years. The result is a hugely enjoyable listen, with...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/tigers-and-flies-uk-expanded-play-album</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6e94259510b2bf930a8</guid><pubDate>Fri, 09 Jan 2026 17:38:31 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_0edbad8e3365451e8f3af095a40cdaf0~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[This Heel - ‘Rock the World’ (EP)]]></title><description><![CDATA[There are few things I appreciate more at NMR than a band whose ambition wildly exceeds any reasonable scale, so naturally I was delighted to see that This Heel have returned with a new EP boldly titled ‘ Rock the World’ , which to me sounds like a 90s charity stadium concert. But who needs the likes of Live Aid, really, when a determined Swede with a basement full of pedals can do the job in nine minutes flat? Freddie Mercury had Wembley; Martin Månsson Sjöstrand has a practice amp, a...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/this-heel-rock-the-world-ep</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6992f6ed4259510b2bf9348f</guid><pubDate>Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:41:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_98dc3e1dc5ef4094b1fcbdb36285d16e~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_500,h_500,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>andyworsey</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>