Shadows in Stereo – Mike Vorpal’s “Charlatan” Is a Darkwave Knockout

If Mike Vorpal set out to bottle the mood of modern disillusionment and light it on fire, “Charlatan” is the slow-burning fuse that makes sure you hear. This track from his debut solo EP Memes pulls no punches, it’s brooding, punchy, and completely hypnotic. A guitar-laced darkwave anthem that creeps up your spine and rattles something deeper.

The production is gritty but intentional, letting each element breathe in a moody atmosphere of distortion and delay. The guitars don’t just underscore the beat, they drive it, dragging you through a stormy landscape of doubt and irony. There’s a pulse to this track that feels alive, almost confrontational, and Vorpal leans all the way into it.

But what really seals the deal is the vocal delivery, haunted, raw, and full of just enough restraint to keep you leaning in. It doesn’t feel overproduced or calculated. It feels human in a way that most polished tracks just can’t replicate.“Charlatan” is the kind of song you loop three times in a row and still catch something new. It’s smart without being pretentious, heavy without being suffocating. For a debut solo venture, this one swings hard and lands. If this is where Vorpal begins, buckle up. Memes isn’t just an EP; it’s a statement, and “Charlatan” is the track that carves it in stone.