Cecil Releases Haunting Single "Black Maria"

CECIL delivers an understated, Celtic-esque vocal performance, delivered in the vein of Sinead O’Connor meets Lana Del Rey, due to her Gaelic-sounding tone over drum programming, with off-beat snares hitting away over the main kick, that throws us back to Lana’s 2011 hit “Born To Die.” ROUGH ONLINE was not expecting “Black Maria,” to be the melancholic, Gothic song it is, as we have heard so much uplifting Indie music as of recently, that this track really grabbed our attention from the moment the beat dropped and we heard those dark, reverb-delayed electric guitar arpeggios that reminded us of Enigma’s unique, fantasy-like sound from the 90’s. With synth, choir voices in the background of the verses adding to the slight, dramatic tension, think of Cecil’s brand new single as a 2018 version of Evanescence’s “Missing,” due to its’ overall Industrial sound.

Unpredictably so, “Black Maria” entails traditional Pop chords under warm, atmospheric synths that give it the darkness it intended to deliver, along with Cecil’s occasionally raspy vocals, as if there’s a Cyndi Lauper bursting to get out, but remains trapped in a world full of such haunting resonance you just can’t simply get enough of, especially when she hits them high notes in the chorus, leaving the listener with a disturbing chill. If Ace Of Base ever decided to perform their Yodel-like vocals over an alternative Goth-Pop track, it would probably sound a little something like this.

It is definitely not the sort of Indie-Pop, radio-friendly sound you would hear today, unless of course you were a Florence and the Machine-type performing a “Heavy In Your Arms”-style number. ROUGH ONLINE is left with much curiosity as to what Cecil will release next. Watch this space.