Selecting this one came from a completely random encounter on Spotify. I was searching Spotify for an album by an artist that I have never heard of and the genre being completely out of my heavy metal and rock comfort zone. This month’s edition on Lotty Tries comes from British singer/songwriter MABEL and her album Ivy To Roses (Mixtape), thanks to this album I was able to dip my toes into the R&B pool for the first time since my early teens.
First impressions of this album were that the songs had an infectious beat. Even when sitting at your desk working away you can’t help but do a little dance along to the rhythm. Examples of these can be found in songs such as Fine Line, My Lover and Come Over. The infectious rhythm and notable melodies work together to provide the perfect ear worm. The moment you mention one of these song names, they are in your head for hours or days after listening to the track.
When listening to the songs, I particularly like listening to the writing as it gives the songs that extra layer. The song writing in some of the songs didn’t sit well with me personally, some of the lyrical content made the face scrunch up and the toes curl. Things I often do when I am feeling embarrassed.
On the other hand, I do like the fact the lyrics do keep it current with the times. Particularly in the song Ring Ring where she describes about finding out that her lover was actually out with someone else when he told her he was home. She describes that she found out via My Story on either Instagram or Facebook.
A song that particularly stuck out for me was the song Ivy. It reminds me of the classic R&B ballads such as ARETHA FRANKLIN’s (You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman and MARIAH CAREY’s Without You. I have often said that stripped down tracks showcase the best of a vocalist’s ability and in the song Ivy it definitely showcases MABEL’s great voice. From listening to this song, you can tell instantly that it comes from the heart and I really liked this. The vocal harmonies particularly were spot on here.
R&B isn’t normally my go to genre, to be honest it’s one of my least favourites. Having said this, I did like this album. These songs were different to what I usually listen to yet I enjoyed the beats, melodies and vocals. RIHANNA comes to mind the more I listen to this. So if you want some hip hop beats, catchy melodies and an R&B Diva ballad then look no further.
If you have any suggestions for my next blind review I would love to hear them and try these albums out. Anything from classical music to black metal, I am open to trying anything.
