Mabel ft. Kojo Funds – Finders Keepers
Uncontroversial then, uncontroversial now, albeit at a somewhat higher level…
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[6.50]
Ashley John: “Finders Keepers” uses this summer’s classical tropical flare and injects it with an icy distance. Kojo Funds lends a nice balance without bumping the pace the wrong way. Mabel’s voice is beautiful while delivering punches like “don’t feel like you need to try and love me” to stomp on the contrived boundary between the good girl vs. the bad girl. She’s both at once and surely isn’t asking for your opinion.
[7]
Will Adams: With the silky synths of early AlunaGeorge and the sparse handclap percussion of Lumidee, Mabel links two sonic worlds with a warm vocal. The issue with subdued club tracks like these is that they tend to meander, but while “Finders Keepers” is no exception, it’s still lush enough to stay invested.
[6]
Eleanor Graham: Personally, I don’t need much more from a song than warm-toned piano, a clap-and-stutter beat and Mabel telling me she likes me, but not enough to leave Zone 1.
[7]
Rebecca A. Gowns: Nothing brings me chills more than “IT.” Not the movie — the pronoun, as it’s used here, used as a stand-in for girl, sex, this, that and the other. Mostly it’s (IT’S!) being used for “love interest,” as played by Kojo Funds, who refers to herself as “it” (IT!) over and over again. The song sounds fine, but man, does it bug me.
[4]
Stephen Eisermann: The slick rhythm that the song is constructed around gives the song such a good foundation that it would be hard to mess up. Thankfully, Mabel is up to task and delivers a sultry R&B number that manages to be both provocative and empowering — something that feels especially powerful in today’s social climate. Kojo Funds’ introductory verse sets the stage, letting Mabel slide into the track easily and without hesitation. Her voice dances on the rhythm seamlessly, and her charm is endearing, especially on the verses. It all flows well and makes for a good listen, even if the beat feels like the strongest part of the song.
[7]
Katherine St Asaph: ME: “The problem with pop in 2017 is the increasingly unchallenged reign of pleasant, competent tracks by women never given a chance to be anything but interchangeable.” ALSO ME: “You don’t need to stand out when you’ve got the Diwali riddim.”
[7]
William John: Though she extols the virtues of detachment here, there’s something admirably committed about Mabel’s vocal; she navigates the Diwali riddim and the undulating synths framing it aplomb, such that the song could easily be mistaken for a romantic gesture rather than to instigate momentary pleasures.
[7]
Iain Mew: Nothing particularly new in these late night vibes, but the chorus and how she sings it is elastic enough to keep it stretching out in appealing ways.
[7]
Reader average: [8] (1 vote)