Review: "Dead End Of A Dream" - MICHA

A breakup is the worst kind of heartache. In saying goodbye to a part of your soul and a version of yourself, you reflect on the ruins of your heart and try to understand your new reality. MICHA’s new song “Dead End of A Dream” is a raw message to a former partner, before the stage of letting go. In the first verse, he reveals that his feelings about their relationship haven’t gone away yet. The narrator feels deceived by his ex for having planted false hopes about their relationship. As the chorus builds, listeners witness the heart-wrenching remorse the singer feels, with the words “just give me back the heartbeats and the hours”. This visceral phrase connects time to the very thing that keeps us alive, alluding to the ex-partner being ingrained in the singer’s reason for living. The chorus concludes with a harrowing message: “you promised there was no way the love we had was ever gonna be the dead end of a dream.” It's a beautiful and tortured reminder, fuelled by the sting the narrator feels.

A soulful melancholy mood comes from the melodic humming and a flowing acoustic picking pattern in a minor key as the song’s introduction. MICHA’s low, gravelly, and soulful vocals start simply. The depth of his voice brings a stimulating contrast to the gentle instrumentals. Only at the end of the verse does the melody in his vocals climb to showcase his bold range. A slight country influence to his sound, MICHA belts the chorus, with emotional texture and force. The sound of an acoustic guitar joins in with powerful strumming and a percussive pulse on each new bar. The last line of the chorus is echoed in background vocals, fading away. A soft electronic whooshing sound brings in the next verse, and vocals in the background harmonize. The instrumentals cut out entirely for the bridge as the melancholy humming from the song’s introduction plays gently. The vocals are belting with what feels like the force of a broken heart. The final chorus starts without the instrumentals, much quieter than before, until it breaks out with the same force until the end of the song.

MICHA is a musician from the Netherlands whose solo music is new to the scene, with “Dead End of A Dream” being one of six releases on his debut EP of the same name. He engages with fans through social media, even hosting a contest for a living room concert. Recently, MICHA tried his hand at modelling for a collection called “Once Upon a Town” by Jasper Abels. He is part of Micah & Julia, a duo that released music between 2020 and 2022. He toured the Netherlands in 2023, performing in ten different cities. You can follow his music career on the links below, and enjoy his soulful voice as you listen to his songs.

Written By Hanna Kowal

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