First up, that suspenseful ambient guitar noise, buried deep and starting off barely perceptible. As you become aware of that sound and wonder if the tune is going to unsettle more than comfort, softened and soothing piano chords arrive and take over. That piano gives the first anchor to the song. And then, Casii Stephan's voice joins in. What a voice that is. It bridges so many gaps, spanning grounds of folk, soul and pop. It remains restrained for a good three minutes, acting as an emotive, soulful and captivating anchor as well as a leading element to the song.
Later, Casii really opens up, allowing an internal energy to be set free through her vocal chords. But you sense rather than hear the potential for power there, with the singer displaying masterful control. There's a slight quaver occasionally, just a tiny tremble, which somehow brings realism and more intimacy. And lyrical touches enhance that further. "Standing with my head 10 feet under water" is the opening line; but later, Casii experiences a revelation - she can breathe nevertheless. This leads us later to "wind, carry me; water, take my feet". Open, inviting and pure words.
Casii originally hails from Minnesota (which is also home, of course, to the wonderful Ber); she apparently "grew up shy and afraid of her voice" until she started writing songs on her family piano. I love that story - truly inspirational, particularly when you hear how far she has now come. 'Without A Box' is a very personal song, looking at how a relationship status doesn't have to define us. It's liberating as well as moving, in many ways.
This song is ethereal, immersive and ... healing – I think that's the best description. The combination of a heartfelt theme with those vocals, the carefully thought out instrumentation, and production which supports all the other elements, is a magical one, something of a rarity. For someone who started off so reluctant to open up to reach this point of letting us in to her inner space is a huge achievement. Through that bravery and willingness to unleash an innate creativity, I'm sure Casii will reach and comfort more people than she'll ever know.
Be sure to follow Casii in the usual places, including Instagram, X and YouTube.