Birds are better 🇳🇴 - ‘Hymns for the Hope and the Sorrow’ (single)

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 Warner.

Stian describes his music for Birds are better as “folk brushing up against power-pop and

synthy indie, with a soft spot for big choruses and small details that carry the story.”

“Hymn For The Hope And The Sorrow” lives in a beautiful contradiction. It’s a prayer from

someone who openly admits they don’t believe in God - and yet keeps praying anyway. That tension is the heart of the song, and it’s what makes it feel so honest.

The lyrics are stripped down and repetitive, almost meditative. Lines like “All my worries wash away when I pray / I don’t believe in God anyway” don’t try to resolve the conflict, but rather sit with it. Prayer here isn’t presented as faith or devotion. It’s more of a coping mechanism, a way to quiet the noise when things feel heavy. When the song repeats “I feel you” it sounds less like belief and more like searching. Whatever “you” is, it only seems to exist if the Stian allows themselves to feel it.

Hope is described plainly as the only thing left. There’s no grand revelation, just small signs and the possibility of connection. The closing section, with its repeated “I’m gonna try” feels especially personal. Trying becomes the act of faith itself, even when belief is uncertain.

It’s tender, unresolved, and quietly brave. A song for anyone who doubts deeply but keeps

reaching anyway. It’s such a private moment turned into music…it almost feels like a crime to dissect more of it as I go. Stian promises to release more songs regularly so make sure to stream his music and follow his socials so you know when the next “hymn” will come out.

Stian promises to release more songs regularly so make sure to stream his music and follow his website newsletter or socials so you know when the next “hymn” will come out.

Release date - 29th January

Website - Stian wants his website to be the central focus for his music, so have a look.

Socials - Facebook, Instagram.