I rarely cry — much less at a concert. However, Cecilia Castleman’s music is a girl’s best friend amid an emotional crisis. At The Blue Room, I found myself processing long-forgotten memories, which Castleman effortlessly encapsulates with poignant lyrics on heartbreak and insecurity, accompanied by her honey-tone vocals and bluesy guitar riffs. Her songwriting is reminiscent of Tenille Townes, her voice evokes Maggie Rogers, her sonic melody’s echo HAIM and her presence is akin to talents like Julia Micheals and Phoebe Bridgers. Yet, Castleman is sincerely herself, expressing the deepest emotions through her music.
Hank Compton, a co-writer of Castleman’s instant classic “Looking for June,” set the tone for an emotionally vulnerable and intimate night. The audience was treated with four unreleased songs — a potential sneak peek into his debut record. “Mr. Lonely,” the first song of the night, was my favorite from Compton’s set and was reminiscent of James Bay. Another song, “Room to Room,” was rooted in country music, while “Allison” was old-fashioned heartbreak. Compton’s final original song got a few chuckles from the audience for good reason. While a hilarious reference to sitcom “The Office,” “Sir, This Is a Wendy’s,” a song cut by a friend of Compton’s, was the artist’s saddest song performed at The Blue Room. It narrates the story of a man abandoned, drinking his pain away and talking to strangers, only to find himself disillusioned at a fast-food restaurant. Talk about a wake-up call.
Don Was — producer for The Rolling Stones, Bob Dylan and John Mayer — produced most of Castleman’s debut album. When Castleman took the stage, the record’s music excellence was undeniable.
“Thought I Was In Love” is deceptive with its up-tempo driving chorus, but the song is a confronting warning to those on the brink of falling for the wrong person.
“I cared about you too much / Now I know what it means when I was seeing stars / So if you ever feel strange, stop it before it starts / I guess I was in love,” Castleman sang.
Near the end of the song, Castleman changes the lyrics from “I thought I was in love” to “I guess I was in love,” an admission that even she disregarded her own advice — an experience universal to anyone blinded by love.
At once, the audience verbally “awed” at Castleman’s riff for “Lonely Nights.” The song is Castleman’s first streaming release and has garnered critical acclaim from Apple Music’s Zane Lowe. Hearing the song live, only cemented its success.
The night was special for Castleman, not only for celebrating her debut album but also for turning 24. Among friends, family members and music colleagues, the audience entertained Castleman with a sweet “Happy Birthday” song intermission.
“This is why I wanted to do my album show on my birthday!” Castleman said after the serenade.
“Company” is a song that follows up on Taylor Swift’s “tolerate it.” Castleman has already decided that she doesn’t need her love interest’s company anymore. However, this doesn’t stop her from asking questions and wondering about her lover’s whereabouts. She describes the conflict between emotionally moving on from someone and breaking old habits.
“I don’t need your company no more / I keep looking at the table, but like us, it’s not so stable,” Castleman sang.
Throughout the set, Castleman played without a guitar pick, a small yet significant detail that adds to the authentic and homegrown feeling her music portrays.
“Looking for June,” a song co-written with opener Compton, blends pop melodies and soft-rock instrumentals with beautiful vocal harmonies. For the song, she switched over to open tuning — an artistic choice that elevated the song’s instrumentals.
“For all my guitar players out there, count how long it takes me to tune,” Castleman said.
“Pick and Lose,” similar to “It’s Not What I Mean,” is an introspective look in the mirror for those dealing with social anxiety, uncertainty and self-growth.
“This song is at the end of my album because it holds all my secrets, so please don’t listen to the words,” Castleman joked.
The night was one of young existentialism, in which everything and nothing makes sense at once. Yet, the only one who made sense of all the emotional turmoil that comes with being young and navigating love was Cecila Castleman.
“You can’t pick and choose / But you can pick and lose / Guess you’ll find out what’s worth saving / But all I want in my life is still saving me,” Castleman sang.
While Castleman may be a woman of few words, her lyrics, vocal delivery and guitar performance are bold and vulnerable in their expression. My hope is that you too, can emotionally process with Castleman’s music.
