Cece Coakley Splashes in Sunshine in New EP ‘Soft Again’
Photo via Cece Coakley.
The hummus queen of Tennessee, who is none other than Cece Coakley, serves a thirst quencher for smooth lemonade and sweet recollections with her new EP Soft Again. The singer-songwriter’s four-track project pulls its listeners into a warm embrace—one that elicits tender nostalgia and profound appreciation for present moments with those we love. Where there is lush grass and the perfect summer breeze to combat a creeping heat, you’ll find Coakley bottling up each moment, saving the feeling to pour into her narrative songwriting.
Originally from East Tennessee, Coakley is now based in Nashville, a music scene hotspot. There, her artistic growth has since flourished in the direction of pure authenticity. Her songs overflow with poignant lyricism that indicates wholehearted introspection; she writes from the heart and yields to whatever might come out. Coakley’s debut album Happy Adjacent released just last year proves this is nothing new, the album packed with feelings of yearning and questioning. “Did you lose yourself or just your self-esteem?” she sings in her most streamed song “865,” her signature southern twang and gravelly vocals adding textures that ebb and flow with ease.
Coakley’s EP tracks are infused with the familiar crunch of Nashville leaves and deep acoustic tones, while still showcasing new grounds she has been exploring. Its namesake track “Soft Again” is the first to play, and Coakley finds herself beaming over someone who softens her edges. “I could see the rest of your tattoos / You could hold my head in your hands” she hums, full of gentle longing. Her lyrics create a vivid, intimate picture that trace the narrator’s cold heart melting into the warmth of the other’s actions. Like a head that fits perfectly in the crook of the other’s neck, Coakley slowly allows herself to fall into that space.
A melancholy gloom looms over her track “Good Guy,” diverging from the singer’s usual subject matters. “This song is easily the saddest song I’ve released because it is a simple attempt at validation that you’re not a bad person,” Coakley says in an Instagram post. “This song is desperate and bleak, but I share it in hopes that somebody feels seen in those emotions [and] as a reminder that we are all not alone.” While its sonic structure invokes a tranquil, warm sensation, Coakley’s solemn lyricism creates an interesting juxtaposition. “But if you want me to hide / I’d duck in cover / If you want me in your life / I’d be your lover” croons the singer against flickering guitar strings. The heart of the song is cutting as the narrator yearns for approval to cancel out the false truths clouding her self-perception. Coakley’s raw vulnerability softly pierces the track with glimmers of freeing hope, a kind reminder that one’s seemingly lonesome thoughts always find their way to someone who feels exactly the same.
Coakley allows herself to ride the rushing current of having a crush in “Oh My God,” a track that is unashamedly head over heels. Her refrains of “Oh my god, I’m your girl / Oh my god, you’re my world” feel like a balloon that could burst, her enamored heart proudly exclaiming who now has possession of it. Sharp and full strums echo behind her vocals, giving the track a full, upbeat shape to match Coakley’s high.
“We think the same way / We say the same things / Make similar sounds” sings Coakley on her final track “Bonus.” It’s an unexplainable feeling when you know someone at the molecular level, to the point where you both mirror one another’s habits and mannerisms. At 23 years old, the singer slowly drinks in every moment with the knowledge that one day, things will look different. The slower tempo further emphasizes the track’s message––to slow down and recognize the little moments that make life good. “I’m okay if this is all I get,” she hums with genuine content. Her lyrics weave together to immortalize the sensation of living through a moment you desperately ache to hold onto, because you know you’ll want to remember it forever.
Coakley’s ability to create a palpable sense of familiarity through her lyricism marks her as a singer-songwriter to keep an eye out for. Whether you are wading in the depths of your insecurities or carrying a desperate eagerness to soak all of today’s sun rays before dawn arrives, you’ll be sure to find solace in Coakley’s buttery smooth EP Soft Again, available for streaming now.
