Andrey Psyche and Julia Newman – Cupid & Psyche – Single Review

Singer-songwriter Andrey Psyche was certain that from the very first moment he picked up his guitar, the instrument would alter the course of his life. His journey through self-expression via music has led him to release a fairly large catalog of music in recent years, including a number of singles and album Mirrors of the Heart in 2019. Most recently he’s released the single Cupid & Psyche, a hauntingly beautiful love story that is as delicate and heartfelt as it is instantly captivating.

Cupid & Psyche is based on a poem titled Echo, written by fellow artist Julia Newman, who first captivated Andrey at a show they were billed on together. After working together on a re-recording of one of Andrey’s tracks, he came across this poem on Julia’s Patreon page and was immediately enraptured. The song that was written in the moments following was complete in a matter of hours, and Andrey has laid out a vulnerable, intimate showing of emotion and desire within it.

The production in Cupid & Psyche is not overly complex – no, it wouldn’t be right to take away from the compelling, gorgeous lyrics and story with too much background noise. Fortunately, Andrey has chosen the perfect accompaniment in solely featuring his clean, reverberating acoustic guitar. The melody is just a touch melancholy, the longing so clearly painted by his words reflected in the tone and execution of the track. Stylistically, this is reminiscent of so many prominent modern folk & acoustic artists, perhaps the accessible melodies of Howie Day meet the intricate songwriting of Gregory Alan Isakov, also meeting the light acoustic simplicity of some of Bon Iver‘s work.

The lyrics are unquestionably a real highlight in this track. It’s no surprise that poetry is what spawned their creation, as they’re remarkably poetic in their own right. There’s no fat to trim from these words, so to speak – each is delivered with an intensity and purpose that suggests that something might be missing if just a single word were left out. We’re particularly fond of the stunning visual depicted at 1:03:

“I love you
my rustic,
long tempered,
ruins of my shadow
Oh won’t you engulf me
I want to
get lost inside your game”

A stunning, enchanting story of a genuine yearning for love, delivered in an incredibly tasteful indie-folk-ballad package. The lyrics are remarkable, the production is a perfect match to the story, and the vocals are practically dripping with feeling in each and every line. Cupid & Psyche is a stunning track and an incredible artistic work from artist Andrey Psyche. With the poetry of Julia Newman as his muse, it seems that the sky is the limit for Andrey’s musical capabilities, and this release has us hoping for more collaborations of this type are in the future.

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BELOW: Check out our full artist interview with Andrey Psyche, listen to Cupid & Psyche and connect with their website and social media platforms, and watch their music video. Please support Andrey Psyche and Julia Newman by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!

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