As I write this I am posted up in a living room in northeast Los Angeles contemplating the fertile scene from whence Maraschino’s Piper Kaplan sprung. Formerly fronting the post-chillwave duo Puro Instinct with her sister Skylar, Kaplan branched out on her own in 2019 and took the sound they were developing toward and ran with it in her new single “Illusions,” sticking firmly with the 80s synth pop palette but moving from more impressionistic Cocteau-inspired dream pop stylings (while retaining the reverb-drenched master) to a harder-edged Depeche vibe, complete with a parallel minor chord progression à la “Enjoy the Silence.” Kaplan is gunning for it, she has the vocal chops and production finesse, plus the right visual aesthetic; the accompanying video has the same washed-out post-modern take on the 80s pop palette as the music. A package deal for sure.