This is a Dutch band called The Essence. Just as bands like Camouflage and Cause & Effect were like, “Shut up, we don’t sound like Depeche Mode! Depeche Mode sounds like us, so shut up or else!”, The Essence shares the same relationship with The Cure. If you didn’t know any better, you would have sworn that this is Robert Smith while listening. So listen to this or else you’re just not cool anymore.
“The Cat”:
“Only for You”:
“Mirage”:
The band isn’t a total ripoff, and the music is not derivative. No plagiarism, just similarity. And it’s not like the singer is doing the whole Robert Smith eye makeup thing either. I obtained their first album as mp3 format and burned it onto a CD to listen to in the car. I’ve been listening to it over and over for the past several days and I really like it a lot. It’s as if I’ve discovered some Cure albums I’d never heard before. I first discovered this band about a year ago as it showed up as a YouTube algorithm suggestion and I wish I had known this band 30+ years ago.