Rework Rhythm - Cece Natalie

by: Kaleb M. Williams

One aspect of this project that immediately stood out to me was the experimentation. All throughout this entire collection, she either expands upon her signature sound or plays around with a different one. This aspect, along with the more serious territory some of the songs venture into, is well appreciated. Now there were some serious moments in Miss Behaves, however, this time around, it feels way more intentional, which helps convey the emotions more.

The opening track, Muah, keeps the same signature sound, but the unique effects mixed into the production help it stand out. The Pop and EDM style of this track allow it to fit perfectly into a “getting ready playlist.” The following track, by chance, includes a feature from another great underground artist, Jade Nicole. On my first listen…I absolutely hated this track, but I must admit it has grown on me quite a bit due to Jade’s verse. My only real gripe with this track is that it's very repetitive, but I’ll chalk that up to it being possibly unfinished. Cinderella, is a fun and catchy song, diving into the struggles of navigating a toxic friendship. The style is vaguely similar to the dance type beat of Team Cece, which does contribute to my fondness of this track a great deal. 

The next 3 tracks (the bricks, smile, cute knives) are by far my favorite section of this project. Each of these songs has its own distinct sound that differs from her typical style. The vocals are clear and raw on Smile and Cute Knives. Both songs have a sadder, more emotional tone, especially in Cute Knives, with the range she displays. Smile, is a much more sudden type of sadness, as she sings about having it all and being content, but the intentional hollowness of each verse reflects how it is all a facade. The Bricks is my favorite sonically. The vocals melt into the beat perfectly, creating a sound that engulfs you into the song.

A track that left me in awe was Holly Woods Christmas 1. When I tell you I was not prepared to hear her slightly rapping over a jingle bell-esque beat, man. This is definitely the most unique song on this project, hell, even her entire catalog. There are some clever bars on it, but I honestly can't see myself listening to it, well, besides during the holiday season. Another song that threw me for a loop was the Gymnastics - Cece Natalie House Remix.  I am normally not a fan of remixes, feeling as though the original is often superior, but in this case, the remix takes the crown. Who knew that changing the tempo and adding a second verse would be all it would take to make me love this track? I still feel like the original works better in the context of Miss Behaves, but overall, the remix is just a much better listen. As for the rest of the tracks, 754 Alternate could have been kicked off of the previous album and replaced with any of these tracks. Don’t get me wrong, I still think these songs are good, just lean more on the side of things we have already heard before.

I did enjoy this project a lot, it is always so fascinating to dive into the world of Cece Natalie, especially seeing what she decided not to release. More artists should definitely release a collection of scrapped/unfinished songs because it is so interesting to imagine what could have been. I would definitely like to see more tracks that favor songs such as Cute Knives, Smile, Cloud 10, and even Holly Woods Christmas 1. For this project, my top 3 tracks would be The Bricks, Smile, and Gymnastics - Cece Natalie House Remix. As for a rating, keeping in mind some of these songs are unfinished, I would give it a 7/10. 

I am very excited to see what her next proper album has in store since she has been dropping a few interesting singles these past few months. Fingers crossed it drops relatively soon, but for now that's all for this week, make sure you give Recycling Bin Collection 2 a listen and stay safe!

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Recycling Bin Collection 2