Sink Into The Smooth Sheen Of Mabel
19-year-old Mabel is not your average teen. Several things have stood her in good stead; growing up in Sweden, arguably the home city of great pop music, moving to London, arguably the home city of raw creativity, and calling the legendary Neneh Cherry her Mother and Massive Attack producer Cameron McVey her Father.
Don’t get it twisted though; Mabel’s success is all her own. Having initially been intimidated by her parents’ success and, like any given rebellious teenager, insisting she didn’t want to follow their path into the music world, the music came knocking until she quietly enrolled in a production and music theory course at college in Stockholm. She also enlisted the help of friend Josh Crocker, based in Leeds, to produce her output rather than calling any family favours – and it’s safe to say it’s worked.
Her debut track ‘Know Me Better’ caught our attention with its soulful inflections, and the raw, unfiltered lyrical honesty, and it wasn’t long before Mabel was the name across many a music-blogger’s lips. Now, with second track ‘My Boy, My City’ having premiered on Annie Mac’s BBC Radio 1 show last night, Mabel’s consistency has been proven as she comes through with that effortless sheen once again. Written following a move to London, Mabel pleads “let’s meet in the middle” over a simple yet satisfying beat, as a deliciously smooth atmosphere swirls around her yearning vocal. Guided by her love for Erykah Badu and Lauryn Hill, it’s pretty much exactly what you want from a sophomore track.
Keep an eye on this one for 2016 and check ‘My Boy, My Town’ below.
