Michael Cullen is a singer from Sydney, Australia and just released his newest single, “Cha Cha Cha d’Amour“. This is not to be confused with Dean Martin’s hit also entitled, “Cha Cha Cha d’Amour“. Michael Cullen has an interesting baritone voice that stands out in a song like this. Once listening to the song, I kind of sounded like an old, cheesy 80s song. It was really reminiscent of like an old Bowie song. The words often rhyme which makes the lyrics addicting to listen to. The song sounds so “vintage” because it was recorded on analogue tape, using old tube microphones and plenty of equipment with large bakelite knobs, co-produced by Michael with Tim Powles (of the Australian masters of guitar atmospherics, The Church) and mixed by Danton Supple (Morrisey, Coldplay) Cha Cha exudes a vintage but timeless sound.
This song also features a great drum track that is very consistent throughout. Consistency binds human ears. When listening to a song that is repetitive or doesn’t change one aspect, your ears are attracted to it. Some artists strive for this “unpredictable” feel but those songs never do well because there is nothing to be heard. Even the most complex of songs are repetitive. Any crazy jazz song is repetitive in the chord changes. Some “Jazzers” use 125s or even 145s! The chord repetition makes the listener know where the artist is in the song. “Impressions” by John Coltrane only has 2 chords in it! So it really isn’t always about how complex and that is why this song is so pleasing to the ear.
This song also is very high quality and sounds great in any speakers. I know that doesn’t seem like a big deal but some artists who strive for a “vintage” sound end up just making a terrible quality song and use the term “vintage” as an excuse. On Cha Cha, Michael’s rich punk croon spills out of a lush but driven clectic amalgam of styles including Stax, Mowtown, Americana, New Wave and 80s British pop, entreating the listener to take one more chance on romance. If you want to listen to the track, it is listed down below! Enjoy!