MONNE – “From the Ashes We Will Grow – Part One”: Finding Strength After Life Falls Apart
Life will always surprise you and I always say it. Sometimes when you think you’ve got it all figured out, that’s when life decides to throw a surprise at you and turn things upside down. One minute you’re following your plan, it all going well and the next you’re wondering where it all went wrong. It’s like how some people only clean their closets or get a bad haircut when life falls apart. Well Norwegian artist MONNE explores that kind of uncertainty on her new album “From the Ashes We Will Grow – Part One“, an album about losing what feels familiar and finding the courage to begin again.
Now this is the first half of a double ambitious album that deals with loss, change, unrest and hope. Some of you may be familiar with her through her earlier releases, “Digging in My Soul” and “Jungle of Emotions“. This time, she teams up with co-producer Espen Jamne van Groningen at The Timber Loft to capture what happens right after your familiar routine breaks down. But the truth is, sometimes things needs to fall apart before we can see what comes next. A lot of the time, the breakthrough we needs lies in us failing first before it can all work out. It’s about finding the missing pieces that weren’t done well and finally putting them together and from there, it’s gets better. It gives you the experiences you need in trying again, and making things better this time.
There’s something about this album that intrigues me, how it blends live acoustic gear with moody electronics is quite magical. I love how she brings together alt pop, organic instruments like the banjo, flugelhorn, strings, and heavy drums into the same room as dark synth textures, creating an atmosphere that has a strong emotional connection. I like that it’s very organic, you can feel the human touch in how the instruments are played, giving the tracks enough breathing space where warm brass note or a plucked string cut right through the electronic hum with her voice knitting everything together. The switches between fragile whispers to a soaring, commanding belt without ever sounding forced is great, and how it all feels grounded, textured, and genuinely alive is amusing. Lets glance through the tracks and have a feel of them.
Okay I give up already, the way this track “Resurrection” starts is quite haunting. Those long, bending tones rising out of a low hum is really fascinating. It creates this big sigh where you take a deep breath like in a deep forest before you make a bold decision to venture into the unknown. It’s a great opener and sets the foundation for the rest of the album. It also feels like that moment where you’ve been through hell and now you’re back, about to take things in your hands and make it better without an iota of fear in you.
Then the title track “From the Ashes We Will Grow” steps in, bringing in some confidence. If you follow the concept here, we resurrected and now from the ashes we grow and are ready to dominate. I love how the beats builds slowly, you can feel the strings, and the synths swelling in and around her vocals, turning pain into quiet strength. Life can be cruel, but in the light we all will show, our minds can be clouded, silence can be loud and clear but at the end of the day, we need to channel all those into a positive energy, heal, feel and see the light. Then from there, we can achieve whatever we want to achieve, grow and live.
On “Touch of Life“, we get to experience a warmer pulse. It starts with an a lonely soothing vocals, then as the song builds, it gets into this lively jam where all the instruments comes together to create a danceable atmosphere. It’s a reminder that even when life has been difficult, we are still here and kicking on. Enjoy the moment, feel that touch of life, get connected to someone, embrace kindness. These little things comes in handy when life has stricken you, don’t let it consume you, rather be happy you’re still here and enjoy!
“Jack in the Box” injects a sudden burst of restless energy. You get these pulsating drums driving the track forward while quirky instrumental turns mimic a racing mind that refuses to slow down. Life can be full of surprises and sometimes how we project things may not turn out the same way. We may be trying and putting all our effort into whatever we are doing, but same time, it feels like something is holding you back, dragging you down and making things feel stuck. Sometimes too these same forces pushes you to do things you never planned on doing and it’s all part of life.
“Eclipse” steps in and slows things down, creating a very dark, shadowy haunting atmosphere where the light is covered, our life is stuck, there’s no way out when we can’t even find our purpose again. And in those circumstances, we all ask, what do we do? When everything we do seem to be failing, uncertainty kicks in, emotions are high, we’ve lost sight at what lies ahead and we are stuck here.
After an introspective calm start with atmospheric synths, “One Soul and Heart” hits with raw emotional weight. The atmosphere gets a bit dense and lively with all the instruments coming together. At a point in life, we have to turn our defense into offence, we intend to live, and not to die, why do we keep being dull, allowing anger to tear us apart, when we can unite and go full throttle and win? We shouldn’t let fear kill our dreams, no, be brave in whatever you do and kick on with full force. Connect with people if you have to, talk to people, be confident and find trust in people so you can move on!
It’s been heavier and maybe we need some of the weight lifted off us and this track “Sundance” provides that opportunity. I love this track and how brighter the melodies feel, it’s got these lively acoustic touches, including that unexpected banjo flavor, bringing a burst of sunlight through the clouds. It’s a song that brings some sort of happiness, and feels like that moment where we say the sun will shine again, and we will smile again. We see everything crystal clear now, the darkness is gone and the clouds are bright and life is beautiful.
Then comes “After Dawn“, a track that is here to take away the darkness. It’s that moment where you watch the morning sky appears, the atmosphere feels good, everything is calm and the new day begins. If you follow the concept of the album, you will realize that even when darkness comes, it ain’t gonna stay forever, and definitely brighter days will come too. There will be healing, there will be glowing and everything will work again. It’s a very patient track, that builds beautifully where the flugelhorn adds a soft, golden warmth to it.
Now that the morning sun has shined on us, maybe through all the dark moments we carried some dust on us and it’s time to shake them away. The track “Dust on Your Shoulder” brings an easy, resilient stride. It sounds like shaking off old worries and finally walking forward without looking back at what went wrong. It’s very atmospheric and consuming, the hummings are very delicate and pulls you in like the journey is finally coming to an end, we’ve been through a lot and it’s time to let what happened in the past stay there and move on.
And finally the “Hummingbird”. This track closes Part One on a delicate, vulnerable note. Stripped back and intimate, her voice flutters gently over soft accompaniment, leaving you eager to hear what Part Two will bring. It’s like gather all the strength you have, be exuberant, be resilient, and move ahead and strive to be better. The old is gone, you’re born anew!
Well what can we say? This is magnificent, how MONNE uses images of forests, oceans, birds, and changing light to remind us that nature always finds a way to regrow after a fire is impeccable. It’s really that simple, ending one chapter does not mean your story is over. Hardship clears the ground so something stronger can take root. This is more than just music, it’s life, and it’s a great companion for a late-night drive, a rainy Sunday afternoon, or any season of your life where you are starting over from scratch. So go stream “From the Ashes We Will Grow – Part One” and let MONNE remind you how good honest music can feel.
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