Morgenrøde’s newest release, “Tik tak,” is as raw, unvarnished, and deeply personal as the music comes. A completely self-produced effort that revolves around the heart and hands of a one-man band from the Northern Sea town of Løkken, this is a soft act of rebellion against slickness and a heartwrenching tribute to the most sacred of all bonds, a mother’s love for her child.
“Tik tak” is no ordinary ballad. It’s a post-grunge, emotionally textured album full of contemplation and melancholy that comes with the packaging of nostalgia and soul-searching. Morgenrøde, a 43-year-old family man whose DIY demon runs deep, has thrown all his creative energy into this project. From songwriting and recording to production and release, every note and nuance is interconnected with his guerilla-style method, no compromises, no committee, only pure artistic honesty.
And with “Tik tak,” that honesty strikes home. We begin to hear the tick tick tick of time as Dominique echoes the moments that he wished he’d savored more, the time that he’d wished he’d been more thankful, and the gratitude he wanted he’d shouted from the rooftops. It’s a love letter that isn’t shouted but whispered to his mother. There is a nakedness in that admission, which many will feel in their guts, but few would dare express.
Intentionally released on his mother’s birthday, it’s a song larger than genre or performance. It takes on a gesture of love, apology, and memory. That warm distortion, those unvarnished vocals, the honesty that trickles from every guitar string, and it all seems like someone just snatching out their heart and plopping it down on the table for everyone to see. Morgenrøde reminds us that art can still be a personal, rebellious, and transformative endeavor. He conveyed a song made for only one person, and by doing that, he made the rest of us feel it, too.
Connect with Morgenrøde on Instagram – @morgenroede
