A slick soulful shuffle awash with Hendrixian harmonics, Michael Jablonka’s gorgeous ‘Mantra’ depicts a relationship’s dying embers, capturing the thoughts of a desperate yet resigned lover as he wishes a final night together could last forever. “It’s a moment we’ve all been through,” says Jablonka, “and the chorus is the Mantra.” And what a chorus it is, forged on a fervently delivered vocal hook that worms its way into the brain’s pleasure centre. As the song soars, Jablonka somehow reserves some emotion for a searing solo, mining melodic diamonds of sound from his fretboard.
Born and bred in the capital, 26-year-old Michael Jablonka has been gigging since the tender age of 14, always previously as part of a group or as an in-demand guitarist for hire. Those to have enjoyed his dextrous services include Charlie Brown, Stooshe, Shakka, Delta Maid and, most recently, Brit-soul sensation Michael Kiwanuka, with whom Jablonka is currently on tour. Last summer, Jablonka decided it was time to blaze his own trail as a bandleader and songwriter, collating a set of crack musicians and classy songs that prove his gift for crafting a tune is as great as his mastery of the six string. Together that makes for intense yet universal alternative rock’n’soul tunes that scream for wider appreciation. And that’s where Lost In The Manor comes in.
Michael Jablonka: Mantra
Michael Jablonka: Mantra Lyrics: