In listening to artists that not only make music but also create entire sonic edifices from scratch, there lies something absolutely captivating. This is where Merete Mongstad comes into the scene. She is a highly gifted indie artist and performer from Norway, operating out of the dynamic art center of Oslo and reinventing what it means to be a solo act right now. On September 25, she gave the world “Pull Yourself Together”, her brilliant new single, as a solo act. Mongstad, on the other hand, has never operated at anything less than an altogether different frequency. With an impeccable, highly impressive body of experience as a sound designer for films, theatrical productions, and works of art, alongside formal training in the realm of music production, Mongstad exercises total and absolute control over everything that she does, from the lowest to the highest frequency, breath, and texture of her work. Let’s go deeper and dig into the captivating aspects of the song that will dominate our playlists yet again, thus proving once more why Mongstad is a true indie master.
Right from the outset, there is an enchanting electronic piano melody, which is just out of this world. It is a beautiful melody, which is like crystal-clear water and just washes over you, providing you with such a wonderful experience that it feels like someone embracing you in their arms. And the next thing after the melody is just an amazing vocal performance with such poise and emotion that will make you feel hooked on the song by the very first word. And just from that moment on, the song gets you in its complete grip and makes you have such anticipation that I was literally shaking with anticipation.
Ultimately, Pull Yourself Together fearlessly confronts the silent agony and pain of struggling with an invisible condition, creating a universal human cry from something that is highly individualized. The song is honest, intense, and utterly crushing, fully embodying the incredible balance of slowly disintegrating inside while maintaining the appearance of being totally fine. However, as the song progresses, there are several emotions it manages to pass through, from bone-deep exhaustion, through frustration, vulnerability, to eventually accepting something and being hopeful about it. However, the genius of Mongstad’s writing is that it is completely universal. While it describes inner struggles caused by invisible diseases, the song works just as well in describing how we hide our physical problems because we are not ready yet to share the extent of our troubles. We try to fool everyone around us with our smiles and nods, trying to make sure they do not have to think about what might be going on with us, taking all the emotional and physical pain inside of us and trying to make everyone believe that everything is fine.
Regarding the creation of the song, Mongstad got incredible inspiration from Celeste’s wonderful song Lately, giving her song the same relaxed and deep sound infused with R&B. Made specifically for true indie pop fans, Pull Yourself Together is a great example of how Mongstad uses the full range of her incredible talents as an experienced film sound designer, wonderful songwriter, and top music producer. As she is completely free to create the sound that she wants to create, everything in the song sounds very carefully crafted and very independent. Mongstad has an illustrious past in the underground music scene, and the last notable project that she was part of included forming the highly regarded act The Silence Is Out Of Tune; the band is now preparing for a huge vinyl EP release scheduled for October 30th after releasing three successful singles this spring season. Some of the other bands which have had the honor of working with Mongstad in the indie music industry include Children And Corpse Playing In The Streets (NO), S. M. Mongstad (DK), Jodeladies (DK) and Kyed (DK); these talented acts even got to feature their tracks on the movie Pusher, directed by the genius mind behind Valhalla and Drive (starring Ryan Gosling).
This is the purest, rawest magic in its most perfect form, rising up as the ideal anthem that our tired hearts need so badly at this moment in time. Amidst all the struggle and burden and strife that so many of us carry around with us quietly, hidden away behind closed doors, this song comes in and makes us feel seen and heard and deeply understood. It is this exact feeling that makes for the ultimate power of good music – and what a sacred gift that is! I am completely captivated and just cannot wait to see what else she has to offer!
Stream “Pull Yourself Together” on Spotify
Follow Merete Mongstad here and on her socials: Facebook, Instagram, Bandcamp, YouTube
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