Single reviewsThe Other Side Reviews

Thomas & The Angry Hearts – Perfect Rules (2025)

Rules can be positive and negative, all dependent on the person who’s living by them. Is it a demarcated boundary or a regulated restriction – which is the better answer? In their new single ‘Perfect Rules’, Nordic group Thomas & The Angry Hearts take a gander at rules; this time not from the son but from the father’s perspective.

If you are sitting there wondering who are Thomas & The Angry Hearts? Don’t worry, I was in the same boat not too long ago. Hailing from Lillestroem, Norway, Thomas & The Angry Hearts is a combination of musicians Thomas Ǻdland (vocals and guitar), Hilde B. Ǻdland (vocals, keys and melodica), Nils Stian Aasheim (guitar and mandolin), Stig Terge Inderberg (bass and acoustic guitar), and Leiv-Rune Gully (drums and percussion), all bringing diverse influences, ideas and styles to an eclectic, unique, entirely original sound. Today we take a gander at their most recent single ‘Perfect Rules’.

Recorded and produced at Studio Studio Nyhagen in Toten with Kjartan Hesthagen and Ronni Le Tekro, ‘Perfect Rules’ is a soothing, smooth, mellifluous rush of folk-inspired music. Oddly simplistic in its folk sound, a harmonious swoop of piano, guitar, drums and percussion entwine in a shimmering sonic tapestry. Yet, as a full band, a kaleidoscopic swirl of sound engulfs you with its eclectic glimmer of something simple but simultaneously complex.

When it comes to the production, Hesthagen and Le Tekro sprinkle their magic with sophistication and mature elegance; however, the folk-inspired tenderness of Thomas & The Angry Hearts – particularly the interplay of Thomas Ǻdland and Hilde Ǻdland’s vocals – offer vulnerability and rawness. Moreover, while an edge of Americana-veiled folk-rock oozes from ‘Perfect Rules’, there is a traditional Irish folk sound slicing through in its Celtic glory.

Melodically, Thomas & The Angry Hearts offer a comfortable hug from an old friend in ‘Perfect Rules’. Then again, just as the single is filled with rich warmth, poignant vulnerability peaks in the poetic lyricism. Delving into the core of emotion and expressing it with soul-stirring music, ‘Perfect Rules’ has a weightiness to both ease and examine profound thoughts.

This is my introduction to Thomas & The Angry Hearts, but I am eager to hear more! If you’re looking for something uplifting and inspiring, I highly recommend this folk-rock band.


Find out more about Thomas & The Angry Hearts on their official website, Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.

This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator


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