Album Review – Ramona’s Tea Party – Pour Your Heart Out by V. Brewster
(Photo credit: Pernille J. Sætre)
After catching Ramona’s Tea Party supporting Millie Manders and the Shutup on tour last year, I was instantly captivated by this electrifying and heartfelt Norwegian band. Hailing from the coastal town of Tønsberg, they’ve made the UK their second home in recent years—and it shows. Their debut album Steep for X Minutes offered raw punk energy, recorded fittingly in Ramona Lundberg’s father’s basement. But 2025 sees their sound evolve dramatically in Pour Your Heart Out—a title that encapsulates both the emotional weight and the musical finesse of the album.
Though more refined, their core remains intact: honest emotion, sharp relatability, and a defiant sense of realism. This time around, however, those qualities are wrapped in lush, carefully layered production, courtesy of a dream team: Eirik Hansen (production, mix, recording), Thomas Nilsen (Studio Nordkapp, mix), and Magnus Gulbrandsen (Jelöy Sound, mastering). Recorded at Studio Frodeløkka in their hometown, the sonic growth is undeniable.
Track-by-Track Breakdown:
Waves
The first single and album opener, Waves makes an immediate impact with its restrained power. A shift in maturity is palpable here—from structure to lyricism. Ramona’s vocals, rich with aching harmonies, carry the emotional weight effortlessly. It’s a track that demands—and earns—repeat listens.
🎧 Best moment: That unmistakable vocal riff.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “I’m sorry for being more than you wanted”
How to Make You Fall in Love
A euphoric follow-up that flips the mood entirely. Christopher Lyngedal’s jangly guitar riffs are pure sunshine, practically daring you not to dance—even if it’s just an awkward side-step in the kitchen. It’s a perfect road-trip anthem, or just a pick-me-up for a Tesco run.
🎧 Best moment: The syncopated lead-in before the drop.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “I’ve always hated the way my body looks but it feels alright by you”
I Used to Be an Adult
Raw, stripped, and disarmingly vulnerable. This track dials everything back to expose the heart of the album. The unpolished vocals are deliberate and powerful, supported tenderly by bassist Lars Stray’s harmonies. It’s one of the album’s most intimate moments.
🎧 Best moment: The stark piano-and-vocal opening.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “I used to smile at everybody but now I smile when I want to”
Stars Colliding
A masterclass in restraint. With minimalistic guitar and vocal, it teases a full-on explosion that never quite arrives, keeping you on edge in the best way. It’s cinematic, and destined to be a live highlight. (Cluny 2, August 8th—consider this a not-so-subtle nudge.)
🎧 Best moment: The subtle drum work—it’s all in the hold-back.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “Do you think that [free will] exists?”
Perpetual Machine
A delightful curveball featuring Christopher on lead vocals. Energetic guitars, intricate syncopation, and—yes—a key change make this track soar. Despite lyrically hinting at emotional fatigue, it’s musically buoyant and filled with momentum.
🎧 Best moment: Major to minor chord transitions.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “The light hits the window, but it’s not coming through”
Pour Your Heart Out
The title track begins delicately, with folk-inspired acoustic strums and a surprise fiddle appearance before crashing into full-throttle guitars and drums. It’s evocative of a film montage moment—the kind that signals transformation and resilience.
🎧 Best moment: That unexpected fiddle entry.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “There’s no place like outer space to stay the night”
Okay Sugar
A genre-hopping surprise that leans into folk-country territory. Ramona’s vocal adaptability shines here, channeling a modern Dylan-esque charm. It’s playful and wonderfully repetitive in a way that makes it joyfully addictive.
🎧 Best moment: The unfiltered happiness throughout.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “Wish I was someone you could want”
Ode to Nino the Black Rabbit
This one channels their punk roots with sass, speed, and packed lyrical punch. The bass and guitar march in sync, carrying us through a vivid mini-narrative. Expect this one to become a fan favorite at shows.
🎧 Best moment: “You’re gonna have to let me go a little crazy on this one”
📝 Most impactful lyric: “I will not be wasting time holding back on the good”
Suzanne
Ambient and unpredictable, this track paints a portrait of an unforgettable character. By the end, it feels like you’ve lived a night out with Suzanne—dark, wild, and soul-stirring.
🎧 Best moment: That uncanny sense of relatability.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “She wears all my insecurities with ease and glitter”
Ashes
Poignant and introspective, Ashes tackles the existential with startling wisdom for a band still in their early twenties. Its lyrical density and emotive instrumentation strike a perfect balance.
🎧 Best moment: The song’s architecture—it’s a reflection in motion.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “What will remain of me when I go? A bunch of pencil drawings and lego, guitar strings and some funky clothes and a handful of songs I wish I wrote”
What Will We Sing About
The album’s perfect curtain call. With soft octave harmonies and a tastefully reserved trumpet, it captures that quiet, reflective end-credit feeling—leaving you fulfilled, if a little melancholic.
🎧 Best moment: The whole thing feels like a gentle exhale.
📝 Most impactful lyric: “How many minutes before it’s been too long?”
Pour Your Heart Out is a statement. Ramona’s Tea Party have matured their sound without losing their soul, delivering a rich, genre-blending, emotionally fearless record that proves they’re not just a band to watch—they’re a band to feel.
Pour Your Heart Out is released everywhere today 30/05/2025 – find it here. Find tickets for their upcoming tour here.