Album Review: Mabel – Mabel (Mixtape)
2 min read
UK singer-songwriter Mabel has carved a place for herself in the pop sphere over the last few years. Rising to prominence in 2017 with her top-ten single Finders Keepers, she has since worked with some of the most influential acts for the last decade, such as Clean Bandit and Tiësto, and remained in the limelight. Now she’s returned with her second mixtape, and first full-length release since 2022, Mabel (Mixtape).
January 19 starts off the collection with an autotune heavy, jagged beat where Mabel swings lyrically between not feeling different despite it being ‘one month until my birthday’ and someone not being deserving of her love. Even though it feels incohesive, the beat changes are enjoyable and it opens the mixtape perfectly. Right On Time sounds like an Alicia Keys tune, the big beat and keys that open the song feeling like a throwback choice. Lay Me Down brings guitars into the mix, while Run Me Down utilises a live drum kit to create a Jazz-inspired beat. Turn Me Up has a lavish aesthetic reminiscent of The Weeknd, with big synth stabs and harmony heavy choruses.
Love Me Gentle is a gorgeous groove-based ballad, Mabel flowing across the rhythm and ad libbing perfectly with the sax that comes in towards the end of the track. Benz, featuring one of the UK’s latest viral rappers Clavish, lets the feature take the lead, Mabel saving herself for the choruses and bridge. It’s a lowkey love song, one that leads into final track Is It Loveeee excellently. The song breezes past, acting more like an outro than a fleshed out track, but it makes for a solid conclusion to the mixtape.
This collection of tracks acts like a stepping stone to whatever Mable is planning next, and there’s no denying that it leaves the listener wanting more, both because of the short run time and the sparseness of the mixes. There’s a few stand out tracks that float to the surface, but as a collection its more of a statement of intent than a flawless execution. One for the diehard fans, and something to get more casual listeners ready for the next album cycle.
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Writer and Musician, Ryan Bulbeck has been published with a number of online publications, and has worked with a myriad of great artists, both as a performer, and as a producer. His most recent band The 295 are still active, playing shows around the UK.
