(November 9, 2023) In a recent performance on NPR’s popular Tiny Desk Concert Series, Cecily and her band transported listeners back to the seventies, an era that depended on instruments of the non-mechanical kind and vocals oozing pure soul in the highest degree. The singer/songwriter who calls the D.C. area home pulls from that glorious era where melodies of romance honor a couple’s relationship.
In the case of her upcoming project, Awakening, Pt. 2, Cecily points to the awareness of love’s powerful traits: “All awakening to love is spiritual awakening and that’s how I felt when I wrote these songs and more broadly in my journey to awakening to love.” And Cecily’s durable lyrics, pristine soprano and stage presence have outlined her artistry since her debut in 2018, Songs of Love and Freedom – earning the D.C. based Wammie Award for Best Soul Album.
As we wait for Cecily’s latest full-length, First Listen presents “I Am Love,” a well-detailed poetic tapestry regaling love’s indescribable strength. Combining elements that pay respect to both Motown and Roy Ayers’s soulful jazz, Cecily’s assured vocals lock into the purpose behind why love reigns. “If joy be a thing of the Sun/And peace be a thing of the Moon/Then I’ll sing Do Do Do …Cause I Am Love.”
The easy flowing grooves anchored by co-writer and keyboardist Jacob Ungerleider are another element in setting the mood for these joyful illustrations. By the way, Ungerleider and Cecily provide live percussive finger snaps (meaning no drum pads). From an artist who once committed to singing as a hobby, Cecily’s desire to share what truly was burning in her heart is a selfless act of love. Check out “I Am Love.”
By Peggy Oliver
Cecily – “I Am Love”
