I’m still catching up with 2024 releases. Guatemalan cellist Mabe Fratti’s excellent Sentir Que No Sabes slipped out in June. But Lauren Mayberry (from CHVRCHES) only released her solo debut this month.
Mabe Fratti
Sentir Que No Sabes
2024, 9/10
Guatemalan cellist and vocalist Mabe Fratti grew up only listening to Christian and classical music. Discovering Limewire, her musical horizons were instantly broadened. Fratti now makes eclectic music, centred around her experimental cello and pretty voice. Sentir Que No Sabes, which translates as Feeling Like You Don’t Know, is Fratti’s fourth album.
Sentir is more pop-oriented and accessible than her earlier work. There’s a focus on groove and less improvisation, while Fratti’s voice is at the forefront. Like many of my favourite artists, Fratti’s adept at balancing pop hooks with arty exploration. Sometimes she slaps her cello like a double bass for rhythm.
Pretty songs like ‘Enfrente’ and ‘Kravitz’ provide the pop hooks. Others are far more esoteric. For example, ‘Kitana’ sounds like Starless and Bible Black-era King Crimson with its exploratory strings. Hector Tosta’s aggressive guitar parts are sometimes reminiscent of Robert Fripp. Even when the arrangements are wild, Fratti’s voice is pretty and accessible, like on the austere, folk-flavoured ‘Quieras o no’.
“[Lenny Kravitz] was a big inspiration to delve into the groove in this record, you know, in a very vague way,”
Mabe Fratti, Treblezine
Fratti might be my favourite artist I’ve discovered this year, and Sentir is wonderfully omnivorous.
Lauren Mayberry
Vicious Creature
2024, 6.5/10
When Lauren Mayberry joined CHVRCHES at 23, she didn’t have an entertainment background. With CHVRCHES on hiatus, Mayberry released her solo debut in December 2024.
Understandably, Mayberry wants to spread her wings as a solo artist. But she’s weaker without the musical muscle Martin Doherty and Iain Cook provide. The blend of rock and synth-pop made CHVRCHES muscular and infectious. But Vicious Creatures is unfocused and inconsistent, sometimes like a second-rate Paramore.
Vicious Creatures is inconsistent. There are strong moments, like the opening 1990s alt-rock flavoured ‘Something In The Air’, with its anthemic chorus. Closer ‘Are You Awake’ is tender and pretty, allowing Mayberry to showcase her vocal chops. The punk/new wave ‘Sorry Etc’ is another successful track, rawer than CHVRCHES. ‘Sunday Best’ is sophisticated and tuneful, with traces of 1990s house.
But there are awkward moments too. The stilted ‘Punch Drunk’ never ignites. Other songs like ‘Change Shapes’ and ‘Shame’ prioritise the message over the music.
Vicious Creatures has enjoyable moments, but Mayberry’s currently better off with her bandmates.
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I like both of these somewhat. I like the percussion in Mabe Fratti’s song. When I saw “Something In The Air” I immediately thought….a cover of the Phil Collins song? But no it’s a good song….she does have a 90s style vocal delivery.