The music scene has been thriving in the last couple of decades, with many music outlets releasing excellent tracks, extended plays, and albums. Still, many of them fail in delivering music that resonates with listeners on a profound level. Thankfully, there are music projects like Cupid Spell, which managed to do so with their debut single, something artists and bands in this genre rarely achieve. It comes as no surprise, considering that Josh Kreuzman of Twice Dark is involved. Anyone who had a chance to listen to Twice Dark’s releases knows that Kreuzman is a top-tier artist who continuously delivers fresh, unique, innovative, exciting tracks to the table. With the immense support of Mandy Buffington, Kreuzman examines love, relationships, various sentiments, moods, situations, and circumstances, crafting highly relatable compositions that will instantly resonate with even the pickiest music enthusiasts. Besides these themes, their debut single “Look Alike” pays homage to David Lynch’s television and film work, and it has been purposefully crafted for the 10th issue of the Lovers Eyes Press. Sonically, Cupid Spell dives deep into dream pop aesthetics, since it’s a dominant genre throughout the entire composition, but there’s more than meets the eye. You’ll stumble upon all those fundamental elements of synth-pop, synthwave, darkwave, new wave, art rock, art pop, and many more. Josh Kreuzman and Mandy Buffington blended all these sonic ingredients with such precision and finesse. While the qualities that meet all the trends in modern music production lurk dominantly around, they also implemented a vividly recognizable touch of nostalgia that immediately transports the listener to the eighties, an era when this style ruled the airwaves. It’s such a powerful, meaningful, soulful exploration that will not only appeal to dream pop and synth fans, but anyone who appreciates wisely assembled and flawlessly performed music.
Cupid Spell expertly threads layers in lush soundscapes that shine with sincere emotion. You’ll notice a mindblowing collision between brilliant ideas, marvelous musicianship, and tremendous dedication to the craft, rarely seen on a music scene nowadays. Josh Kreuzman’s vocal performance acts as the centerpiece of “Look Alike,” commanding attention, elevating everything to new heights, and leading listeners on an epic sonic journey through the expansive sonic universe. If you pay close attention, you’ll notice how Mandy Buffington’s voice perfectly pairs with Kreuzman’s performance. Together, they seamlessly balance low, mid, and high notes presented through catchy sonic and rhythmic maneuvers, emphasizing everything Cupid Spell intended to achieve with this debut. During the memorable choruses, you’ll hear how Kreuzman still leads the way, while Buffington’s calm, soothing, relaxing, and ethereal vocal harmonies accentuate and immensely help this track to shine even more. Their vocals perfectly match, crafting an emotional depth that unquestionably adds complexity to an already intricate composition. In the meantime, the interplay between synths and guitars shapes a perfect backdrop for all the vocal harmonies to shine upon. It’s the formula that works to the advantage of the song’s ambiance, with all those dominant or subtle layers building a luxuriant soundscape. While the guitar mostly provides hypnotic, addictive, irresistible leads and themes, the synths provide pads, harmonies, and melodies, continuously working from scratch to finish. These orchestrations expand and become even more complex as the song progresses. Cupid Spell thought about everything while stacking these instruments, and it’s nearly mindblowing how all these layers articulate without overwhelming each other.
Even the bass guitar plays several roles in this sonic equation, with all those vividly hearable, intricate, warm-sounding, or tastefully distorted low-ends offering tremendous support, heaviness, clearness, warmness, and depth to synths and guitars while acting as a binding element between the mentioned instrumentations and rhythmic patterns. These warm, deep, and dense basslines definitely contribute heaviness, groove, and detail to every segment while fulfilling the gaps between various orchestrations. Of course, there are perfectly programmed synth rhythmic patterns, carrying robust, punchy beats, breaks, fills, and other percussive acrobatics. These rhythmic patterns not only keep everything in line, but also offer immense groove and depth to the song, serving as the powerful counterbalance that perfectly pairs all the tenderness, harmony, and melody. As you can see, Cupid Spell poured heart and soul into their debut single. Josh Kreuzman and Mandy Buffington crafted a masterpiece that immediately transports you into a different realm. There’s passion and love for crafting marvelous music involved here, and these two skillful musicians vividly showcase those qualities. “Look Alike” is one of those songs that immediately wraps around your ears and refuses to let go long after the last notes and beats end. It’s a beautiful piece of sonic art where innovation and tradition merge, love and Lynchian thematics collide, melody and power perfectly thread, and shape a colossal sonic display worth repeating over and over again. A song you surely do not want to miss. Head to your favorite streaming platform and check it out.
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