Tom Nilsson’s Inside My Universe feels like a love letter to the restless spirit of late-‘70s and early-‘80s new wave and power pop, crafted with the kind of sincerity and sparkle that’s all too rare in today’s landscape. Nilsson’s voice alone pulls you in — it’s the kind of vocal delivery that immediately conjures comparisons to icons like Tom Petty, Robin Hitchcock, Elvis Costello, and Richard Butler of the Psychedelic Furs. There’s an effortless charm here, a knowing wink inside each phrase, but also a vulnerability that keeps the songs grounded.
Nilsson has been at this a long time — from his days fronting Sweden’s Mop Tops to his work in ANC4 — but Inside My Universe marks his first proper solo album, and you can feel the pent-up energy of an artist finally getting to stretch out under his own name. Across twelve tracks, Nilsson delivers what can only be called “new-wavey-rootsy-power pop,” as his longtime collaborator Janne Borgh puts it — music that’s both barroom casual and emotionally resonant, with one foot in the jangle of classic power pop and another in the bittersweet mysteries of life.
The production leans into what makes Nilsson shine: chiming guitars, punchy drums, melodic bass lines, and vocal harmonies that shimmer without ever tipping into excess. There’s a warmth and looseness here that recalls the feel of records by The La’s, The Only Ones, and The Soft Boys, but it’s never derivative. You get the sense Nilsson has absorbed his influences deeply, letting them filter through his own quirky lens rather than simply imitating.
Standout tracks include… well, honestly, it’s a remarkably consistent album, but there are moments that catch the ear: the bittersweet jangle of the title track, the driving urgency of “Running Out of Time” (no doubt a thematic bridge from the final Mop Tops record), and a couple of beautifully ragged-edged ballads that reveal Nilsson’s introspective side. Lisa Sydhagen’s backing vocals and keyboards add dimension, and the rhythm section of Borgh and Niclas Österberg keeps things buoyant without overplaying.
What’s especially moving about Inside My Universe is how much heart it carries. This is the sound of a songwriter who’s been through decades of band life, scene shifts, and personal evolution, and has come out the other side still hungry to connect — still “bothering,” as Borgh puts it, to make music that matters. There’s humor here, a bit of swagger, and a deep respect for melody and craft.
For followers of the Kool Kat label, this release will feel like a natural fit; for newcomers, it’s an ideal entry point into Nilsson’s world. Either way, Inside My Universe is an album worth spending time with — a jangly, joyful, and sometimes wistful ride through the mind of an artist who clearly still believes in the magic of a perfect three-minute pop song.
Recommended if you like: Tom Petty, Robin Hitchcock, The La’s, Elvis Costello, The Only Ones, The Soft Boys, The Pretenders.
Watch for release in late May: https://www.koolkatmusik.com/
