Music Review: "True Believer" from Michael Cullen

Michael Cullen is a talented Sydney-based poetic singer and songwriter who recently released a new album titled "True Believer". Michael is influenced by Stax, Mowtown, New Wave and 80s British pop, as well as fellow musicians such as Leonard Cohen, Nick Cave, Ian Curtis and Tom Waits.

What's especially unique about this musician is the way in which he produces his songs, using tape machines, tube microphones, and other analogue equipment.

When listening to "True Believer", what struck me the most was how hypnotic and dream-like some of his songs are. The first track on the record is "Black Dog", a true showcase of Michael's story-telling ability.

The entire album also pleasantly reminded me of the album "...And This Is Our Music" from The Brian Jonestown Massacre, with its instrumentals and spoken verse. You can also sense Michael's post-punk past in many of his songs.

"Baritone" is the second track on the album, and it really showcases Michael's signature baritone voice. The next track, "Nothing Special", begins with more of a monotone sound. I loved the chorus of this one, as we see a wider range in Michael's vocals, reaching some really beautiful notes.

"Black Coffee and Cigarettes" begins with the singer looking back to his youth. It is a melancholic yet catchy song containing calming instrumentals. The instrumentals all seem to work in perfect harmony, despite seeming as though there are multiple layers of them, which is great!

"Damaged" is the next track and this one is a little slower containing more spoken word vocals. I found this song to be particularly hypnotic, and could really sense that Pink Floyd influence. It is almost as though you slip into a dream world when listening to this track, and I loved how it slowly faded out in the end.

"Cha Cha Cha D'Amour" is a track with much hype surrounding it, and after listening to it, it isn't hard to see why! I love this catchy, moody and almost Western sounding song. It contains a brilliant guitar riff and dramatic drums. Michael's signature deep vocals boom: "Spin the wheel, make a deal, I'm thinking of you".

The next song, "I Walk Alone", is brimming with ambience. This one is another dreamlike sequence. I love the lyrics: "There are no instruments to navigate her heart".

"I Never Knew" is the second last track also containing Michael's celebrated and hypnotic deep voice. There is a beautiful violin solo in the ending of this song which I particularly loved.

"Broken Horses" is the final track on this album and it is so different to the previous songs. It contains more of a punk / rock sound and Michael's voice is more 'gutsy' too. Thanks to these powerful vocals and powerful instrumentals, this album certainly ends with a bang!

You can stream the brand new single "Cha Cha Cha D'Amour" here, as well as the whole album on SoundCloud. You can also find out more information about Michael Cullen by visiting his website or Facebook page. Enjoy!

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- This review is part of our ongoing Music Review series where Whim is introduced to an array of artists from Independent Music Promotions.