‘Short in length, but not in quality, CECI ensures everyone wants to be part of her gloriously musical world.’
Proving that one person really can pretty much do it all, multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter, and producer CECI (Cecelia Ribbeck) invites everyone to experience a musical world which she has been creating since 2022. While there is without doubt a quality to those early releases – with even those heavily featuring German lyricism enticing both native and non-native speakers – the musicality which underpins them is where the greatest connections can be found. And in this, there are the first hints of where CECI’s debut album ‘Everybody Loves’ was to be heading. Perhaps in this day and age, the fact that this album features only a handful of previous releases alongside many which are brand new is an unusual approach – the lack of some singles being even more so. However, what this does is serve as the best way to highlight where CECI’s music -with contributions from Jonas Horche, Simon Kerler and Nikolas Herrmann – is right now.
Shifting at pace through a set of 11 tracks, carrying an average of 3 minutes each, you may wonder at the outset if this is to be a whirlwind tour. And in someways it is. But not at the expense of quality. The lyricism found in tracks like opener ‘Meteor’ with its subtle, skyward themes, ‘Poly’ with its musical restraint and calming atmosphere, and ‘Walk In Your Own Shoes’ with its more darkly tinged, psychedelic sound prove that there is much to enjoy and much to completely immerse yourself in.
It is of course worth mentioning, as I touched on earlier, that this is a release CECI has built from the ground up in every way. Leaning on personal experience, working hard on the production, and possessing a talent for knowing when enough is enough, there is never a sense of anything being overly complicated. It is in fact the perfect balance of audible accessibility on a first listen while carrying a blossoming of interest on a 10th or 20th.
Take the indie-influenced titular track, which feels immediately like a crowd pleaser as a fantastic example of the former. The gorgeously evolving bluesy production of ‘Heavy Thinking’ and the equally evolving, 21st century instrumental jazz within ‘Ran Away’ as ones of the latter. All sound like they could happily drop in among highly respected others of their relevant genres. In fact, this sequence of tracks is quite possibly the best I’ve heard in a long while in terms of pushing my brain to tune into different styles in such quick succession.
Perhaps in an effort to be outdone by her own musicality, the smorgasbord of influences continues to build at pace with electronic textures pushing forwards below a soft, yet directive vocal within ‘I See Your Ego’. The combination is one of pure beauty, which though briefly turning into driving, controlled dominance, retains its appeal on return. Something which can also be said about the only track to feature a guest vocalist.
Joining forces with fellow Germany based singer-songwriter, JOSY (Josefin Vogler), ‘Tilt Your Head to the Sun’ sees the seamless blend of dreamy vocals alongside the most beautiful production. Panning around, you get sucked into the sound which both artists are showcasing. They sound as one, yet if you heard JOSY’s tracks alone, you may not imagine they would at first. A stroke of confidence from CECI, and that lack of from us instantly disappears.
Returning to solo work for the last part of the album, the sparkly synth centred sound of ‘Rage’ juxtaposes sublimely with what a track carrying this title may contain. Taking this further, the entire experience of it is a calming one – soothing even, and with late 70’s rock guitar melodic fragments cutting through towards the end, there is sense of this rage being, much like the track, a fleeting feeling.
Continuing in a similar vein, the lyricism of penultimate track ‘Talk To Me’, encourages reflection and communication while the surroundings showcase moments of delicacy, forwardness, and gentle percussive dominance. It is perhaps the most understated of all the tracks within the album, but its drifting nature soon turns out to be the perfect precursor to the closing beauty of ‘Song To Myself’. A song which gently picks you up, makes you ponder, and ultimately leaves you with a love for what CECI has created.
Listen to CECI’s new album ‘Everybody Loves’ in all the usual places now.