The Danish underground is arguably as hot as any other scene in the world at the moment, and there might be no better example of what it has to offer than in rookie recording artist Morten Nygaard this January. Nygaard’s debut single, titled “Tomorrow Never Comes,” has the sensitivity of an American pop single with the firm presence of something distinctly European, offering listeners a ‘best of both worlds’ not frequently found on either side of the Atlantic these days. Through a stately presentation of harmony and rhythm, “Tomorrow Never Comes” gives us a great glimpse into what this singer/songwriter could become with the right direction; and, at the moment, I’d say his is a trajectory he needs to stick with creatively and professionally.
Nygaard isn’t in any kind of a hurry in this single, but rather seems to enjoy the casual tension his singing renders in the foreground of the mix. Instead of pushing against the groove in the chorus, he gets lost in the sharp hook and lets the drums nudge his verses forward. Even though this is a solo release, his relationship with the instrumental componentry in the background is as important to our realizing the mood of the narrative as his own words are, which is no small statement to make. He’s a poet at heart, but his raw chemistry with whatever happens to be sharing the studio with him is undeniably part of the reason why he’s going to get a lot of love from the press and the public in the next few months.
Like a dam breaking open, the catharsis that comes flooding through both stereo channels in the chorus is quite powerful and honestly reason enough to believe in the compositional strength Nygaard has right now. He’s still so fresh on the scene, with this being the very first single to even bear his name in the byline, but he doesn’t sound like an artist that is still trying to figure out who he is and what he wants his career to be about. It takes a lot of players the better part of their first three albums to get as far as he’s come with this one single alone, and in a short time, he’s going to have quite the sonic profile to be proud of.
There’s definitely more ground to be covered here, but it’s worth saying that Morten Nygaard is going to be even bigger than his insular scene is a lot sooner than some of his peers on the international level will. He’s got the potential to grow into this sound, and now it’s just a matter of avoiding the arrogance and ineloquent lyrical expressiveness that frequently befalls artists experiencing a rapid ascent into the headlines. I like his chances in the mainstream, and to some extent, I think he presents such a likable persona in “Tomorrow Never Comes” that it’s going to be hard keeping him out of the pop circuit’s most elite class. He’s ready, and that’s not something I say about very many greenhorns in this genre.
Heather Savage
