<?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[nordicmusicreview]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Sun, 08 Mar 2026 00:09:21 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Album of the Week: Hater  - ‘Mosquito’]]></title><description><![CDATA[I normally start each feature with some nonsense about Pinegazing, jetpacks or hats, but I’m keeping this one short and simple today — mainly because I’m not sure I’ve ever properly written about quite how much I love Hater.  It’s been a while since we last featured them here, but alongside acts such as Girl Scout and VEPS, they remain one of my most-played Scandinavian indie guitar bands. For me they strike the perfect balance: melodic, hugely listenable songs paired with that chunky,...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-hater-mosquito</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69ab2b1d35bd00937231de09</guid><category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 21:18:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_d11c888b55ab46e8bd451852c26be379~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[Ghosts on TV  - ‘CCTV’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Regular readers will know that we ‘discovered’ a new genre a couple of weeks ago: Pinegaze -  a close musical relative of shoegaze, specifically reserved for Nordic musicians who play shimmering guitars while staring mournfully into pine forests. It’s pretty popular up there to be honest and judging by historic promo shots, Ghosts on TV may well have been involved in the movement themselves, but sonically they do remain firmly rooted in post-rock / shoegaze territory. And recent photos, along...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/ghosts-on-tv-cctv-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a7da5bb7ed4896814b5622</guid><pubDate>Wed, 04 Mar 2026 20:44:01 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_752e7392f4644858ac1972bd74acaa75~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[Gisli Gunnarsson  - Árstíðir (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[We’re generally trying to feature new releases, but we’re going to jump back a year to one I somehow missed, courtesy of Icelandic multi-instrumentalist Gisli Gunnarsson.  Regular readers will know I take particular pleasure in writing about a multi-instrumentalist, for reasons I’ve never quite worked out. ‘ Árstíðir ’ was released this time last year and obviously we have previously featured the Icelandic chamber folk band Árstíðir’  name meaning “ Seasons ”, and if you’ve somehow missed...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/gisli-gunnarsson-%C3%A1rst%C3%AD%C3%B0ir-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a5f9147db715abddf78103</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 17:59:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_eda4c9cabbb547ab9c2b4d400e22c0a2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_640,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Andy</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[ÅHM  - ‘Eliana Never Sleeps’ (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[So the aim this weekend is to cover four Nordic post-rock releases. Yesterday it was After-Math. Today we return to a relatively new favourite, Swedish duo ÅHM . We’ve written about them recently, but this week they’ve released ‘ Eliana Never Sleeps’ , which immediately grabbed me with a blistering rush and an opening guitar riff that explodes into life. But unlike ‘ Broken Beam s’, which was coated in melancholy (if melancholy can, in fact, be applied like varnish), Eliana Never Sleep s...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/%C3%A5hm-eliana-never-sleeps-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a3150e8e65be2d1bd21e38</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 19:12:22 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_c4ec4177096b4dd5be635e35267f3c80~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: After-Math  - ‘The Undiscovered Country’]]></title><description><![CDATA[I’ve got four (yes, that’s four) Nordic post-rock releases to highlight this weekend, and for my Album of the Week recommendation I’ll jump back to January for a beautiful and evocative release from After-Math ,  entitled The Undiscovered Country . Behind the project sits Swedish (Scottish-born) musician Lawrie Welsby, whose music is completely new to me - and a very welcome surprise. Largely instrumental, this is one for those who appreciate patient builds and atmosphere over instant hooks....]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-after-math-the-undiscovered-country</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69a1f64e578a74feea9af65b</guid><category><![CDATA[Albums]]></category><pubDate>Fri, 27 Feb 2026 21:07:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_115775c911994223b600158dd21a8345~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[Sløtface - 'bad friend' (Demo single) and UK Tour this week. ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was thinking about  Sløtface  a s i travelled into work last week thanks to passing Manchester Burger joint Burger Slut (who clearly haven't felt obliged to adjust their name to Burger Slot), and it was a timely reminder to check out their new releases ahead of their UK Tour. I'm particularly enjoying their 2026 sound, which has that extra edge and rawness to it.  Clearly they're just enjoying releasing whatever they feel like, as shown by latest ' Demo ' releases, which includes the...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/sl%C3%B8tface-bad-friend-demo-single-and-uk-tour-this-week</link><guid isPermaLink="false">699b5917d0f466b1c6e1b376</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><category><![CDATA[Features ]]></category><pubDate>Tue, 24 Feb 2026 19:35:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_30fe8347308d42adb860130f85456be2~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[Bellman  - She’s Reading Poe (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Have you ever vibed to a song you wonder how it would sound when you listen to it whilst engulfed in a ‘shroom cloud?* I know that’s a wild intro but there’s no holding back to how I feel about Bellman’s “ She’s Reading Poe ”.   Whilst we would obviously never encourage drugs, “ She’s Reading Poe ” kinda lures you into an immersive five…no, six-dimensional experience that makes you think the other way around anyway. The emergence of many new alternative bands makes shoegaze sound common. But...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/bellman-she-s-reading-poe-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69970be567ed8079b95de56b</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Sun, 22 Feb 2026 13:59:45 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_3c2f861e4f28417685c8d7aa2a637ccd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_960,h_960,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Harriett Claire Torreon</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Club 8 - ‘Echoes of my 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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/club-8-echoes-of-my-time-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69970b4567ed8079b95de53f</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 19:56:30 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_b49560518247445ba0fa979addaec375~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[Ok Alva   - Dust (single)]]></title><description><![CDATA[Alt-pop is not hard to love, especially those with really catchy upbeat melodies. For this day’s review, we’re jamming to Sweden-based solo OK Alva’s newest single, “Dust” . Like I said, alt-pop is easy to listen to. So when you’re like us who get pretty much immune to the all-too familiar beat of something we could all love, we dig deep at the lyrics. OK Alva is expressive. A pronounced, smooth voice paired with really pronounced diction, it’s easy to resonate with what she has put into...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/ok-alva-dust-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69936d571900a4c8785069d8</guid><category><![CDATA[Singles]]></category><pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 20:33:40 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/d6751f_6849381c16b04a609d963de435337ecd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_640,h_640,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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/the-dahmers-in-the-dark-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698f6b85335cec65f897180d</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 ...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/isa-thinking-about-tomorrow-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698f11e9335cec65f896eeee</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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/misty-coast-hallucinating-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698e05ea335cec65f896980b</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">698ad79f5ce248ef44856017</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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-phogg-i-need-you-without-fear</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698dbef0335cec65f8967593</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">698ad701c54aab42f41de8a7</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>Harriett Claire Torreon</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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/indiefjord-2026-misty-coast-veps-and-selma-announced-tickets-on-sale</link><guid isPermaLink="false">69885e47babf74b7d0de7467</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">6985fb6c323fbfa6001b73b2</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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/fake-mannequin-denmark-same-tree-single</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6984426a323fbfa6001ac3a2</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...]]></description><link>https://www.nordicmusicreview.com/post/album-of-the-week-bellefolie-norway-beautiful-madness</link><guid isPermaLink="false">698103bb855cbe41d33a6697</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>Ana</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">69786072d8331f0183325e15</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>Ana</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>