Straight outta Sydney, Australia, singer/songwriter Michael P. Cullen (of Michael P. Cullen and the Soul Searchers) released a new single and music video for “Do You Believe,” and it’s a haunting and hypnotic tune that plays to Cullen’s unique voice and the idea and mysteries of “indie romance.”
Michael P. Cullen, who is described as “a man in a suit, an old guitar and a voice like sandpaper dipped in honey,” ventures into dark territories with his deep and baritone vocals that’s reminiscent of a darker Leonard Cohen or Nick Cave (if you can believe those recording artists can get any darker). The song asks an important question, “do you believe?,” but posits it in such a way that lives inside a listener long after the song is over.
It tip-toes back and forth between “do you believe in love?” and “do you believe in us?,” as it seems to question the shakey back-and-forth of uncertain and short-lived relationships that’s both highly effective, while also affecting with Cullen’s signature style and mesmerizing voice.
The music video, directed by Graham Gall for Jarbo Productions, features actress Morgane Housset wandering through a nameless and faceless city (maybe Sydney, but looks oddly Canadian), as she goes through dark subway tunnels and bright city streets, only to find herself increasingly alone.
The images of a sad and numb woman traveling through a big city with no direction or purpose reflects the unsettling appeal of the song itself. Housset’s melancholy expressions also seems to be asking the question “do you believe?,” but in a way that is unclear to what the answers maybe. It’s tough to tell because the song and its music video are so emotionless, while leaving this listener a little uncomfortable, yet thoughtful of its existence.
Technical: B-
Songs: C+
Overall: C+
“Do You Believe” is now available on Spotify and SoundCloud. Visit Michael P. Cullen’s Bandcamp page or website for more info.
