Atomic Cherry is the solo project of Ece, an Istanbul-based musician who handles her own writing, recording, production, mixing and mastering. "Somewhere in Between," the first release from her forthcoming EP, draws from dream pop, synth-pop and trip-hop. There's a sadness running through the track, though the music itself can be surprisingly forceful.
Ece keeps the vocals close and breathy against a dark, spacious arrangement. The quieter passages have a withdrawn quality, almost as though she's singing to herself. Then the beat comes in, giving the track a heavier pulse without disturbing that intimacy. It's an interesting combination, particularly because the vocal remains so restrained.
The most unsettling section comes when her voice breaks into distorted fragments against a wash of ambient sound. It's an uncomfortable moment, and one of the more interesting production choices on the recording. Given that Ece produces and mixes her own material, it's worth paying attention to how much she's willing to do with her voice beyond simply singing the melody.
Don’t ask me where I’ve been / I’m somewhere in between.
It's a fitting lyric for a song concerned with uncertainty. Ece doesn't offer much reassurance, and the track is more interesting for it.
Ece gives the uncertainty at the center of "Somewhere in Between" enough room to speak for itself.
