Silly Business is the graceful debut EP from singer-songwriter Cecil. The four track release is an enchanting reverie from start to finish with a mix of memorable pop and structured and thoughtful acoustic tracks. Music has clearly always been a passion for the young performer having spent her formative years enthralled by her Mum's drum kit, gradually moving towards singing and piano in her teens. Creativity clearly runs in the family as Cecil's great uncle was the late Cecil McGivern; a broadcasting pioneer who produced drama for the BBC made several radio documentaries during World War II and then went on to earn an Academy Awards nomination for his screenplay of the 1946 version of Great Expectations.
Silly Business demonstrates Cecil's writing capabilities and she clearly has strong promise as an artist. She has a well - developed style and has the ability to get right to the heart of a melody. The piano based opener Haunt draws comparisons with Vanessa Carlton and Christina Perri for its emotional performance and strong vocal line.
Lasso is a more commercial sounding track and has the feel of stepping into an impish underworld inhabited by sprites and faeries which are given life by Cecil's delicate and emotive vocals. The title track pits her misty refrains with an acoustic indie ballad. The country overtones of I Drink shows versatility to her songwriting and makes this an EP that demonstrates the full range of her abilities.
Silly Business is a bite-sized trance of unreal melodies, more than enough to demonstrate Cecil's talent as a singer-songwriter.
Groupie Rating 3/5
