Denmark

Commentary: A rock heavy selection coming out of Denmark for this month. So in typical fashion, I'm gonna skip over the generic guitar riffs and angsty lyrics this May and focus instead on the crisp pop voice of Sonic Girl. The track “hackerboy” is worth a listen just for the shoehorning in of antivirus and IP addresses!

Finland

Commentary: Where Denmark failed with rock, Finland might just have delighted this month. The country is synonymous with death metal, so imagine my surprise to find a source of surf rock in the band Mary Ann Hawkins. Their track “Hawkinsmania” is an espresso shot of frenetiscism.

Iceland

Commentary: Iceland is a small place, with 366,000 people and counting, so sometimes pickings are low. But they do say quality over quantity, and that's what we have here. The names behind NEVERNEVER have some real pedigree in the music industry and are led by the strong vocals of Klara Elias.

Norway

Commentary: In April Norway took the crown for the month's biggest and best release with Röyksopp's newest. They've done it again! Sigrid's follow-up to her debut album, “How To Let Go” is a real banger, with stand-out track “Mirror” destined for summer playlists all across the Nordics.

Sweden

Commentary: Four years since the previous album, it's great to have Lykke Li back. “EYEYE” is a brutally melancholic album, with heart-felt lyrics taking centre stage. Margaret Farrell at Pitchfork had this to say: ‘Her music is a companion to sorrow in the same way the sun is a companion to the morning.’

Previous months: March | April

SPOTIFY | APPLE MUSIC | YOUTUBE MUSIC | TIDAL | DEEZER | AMAZON MUSIC | PANDORA

Disc 1

1. United in Grief [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, J. LBS, Duval Timothy, Beach Noise & Tim Maxey]

2. N95 [prod. Sounwave, Jahaan Sweet, Boi-1da, Baby Keem]

3. Worldwide Steppers [prod. Tae Beast, Sounwave, J. LBS]

4. Die Hard (feat. Blxst & Amanda Reifer) [prod. Baby Keem, Sounwave, J. LBS, Dahi, FNZ]

5. Father Time (feat. Sampha) [prod. Sounwave, Dahi, Bekon, Beach Noise, Duval Timothy, Victor Ekpo]

6. Rich - Interlude [prod. Duval Timothy]

7. Rich Spirit [prod. Sounwave, Dahi, Frano]

8. We Cry Together (feat. Taylour Paige) [prod. The Alchemist, J. LBS, Bekon]

9. Purple Hearts (feat. Summer Walker & Ghostface Killah) [prod. Sounwave, DJ Khalil, Beach Noise, J. LBS]

Disc 2

10. Count Me Out [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, Dahi, J. LBS, Tim Maxey]

11. Crown [prod. Duval Timothy]

12. Silent Hill (feat. Kodak Black) [prod. Sounwave, Boi-1da, Jahaan Sweet, Beach Noise]

13. Savior - Interlude [prod. OKLAMA, J. LBS, Sounwave]

14. Savior [prod. OKLAMA, Sounwave, J. LBS, Cardo, Mario Luciano, Rascal]

15. Auntie Diaries [prod. Beach Noise, Bekon & The Donuts, Craig Balmoris, Bekon, Sergiu Ghermanm, Tyler Mehlenbacher]

16. Mr. Morale (feat. Tanna Leone) [prod. Pharrell Williams]

17. Mother | Sober (feat. Beth Gibbons of Portishhead) [prod. J.LBS, Sounwave, Bekon]

18. Mirror [prod. Bekon, Tyler Mehlenbacher, Sergiu Gherman, Craig Balmoris, Dahi, Sounwave, Tim Maxey]

OKLAMA is Kendrick's moniker for production credits

Formatting and content taken from r/HipHopHeads

Denmark

Commentary:
Six additional Danish finds this month for our second-ever NMN. Bättre! Astrid Nora is the eponymous name behind Where Did Nora Go. “Under” is their fifth EP, written largely during Covid19 lockdown, with songs crafted to be beacons of hope in a time of fear.

Finland

Commentary:
Ada Aik is a Finnish experimental pop musician. Their debut concept album is imagined around the story of a dollhouse, with each room representing an emotional state such as depression or fear. These themes extend beyond the music into visual media which can be further explored on their website.

Iceland

Commentary:
Indie folk band Seabear hold a special place in the hearts of many Icelanders. Ten years have passed since their previous album, so the cozy and imaginative folk sound of “In Another Life” has been warmly embraced. Their music video to “Parade” was posted to Tildes last week.

Norway

Commentary:
For the big release this April we turn to Norway, where it doesn't get much bigger than Röyksopp. “Profound Mysteries” has been released to stellar reviews, with reference made to a darker, more haunting sound from the band. The visualizer music videos by Jonathan Zawada certainly amplify this feel.

Sweden

Commentary:
We should really be talking about Swedish House Mafia's debut studio album, twelve years after the release of their debut single. But the real gem among the Swedish releases this month is the return of Slowgold. Their song “Väntar” from 2017 still sees regular rotation in our house...

Previous months: March