Fabiana Palladino – “Fabiana Palladino” (review) – ByteFM

Fabiana Palladino – “Fabiana Palladino” (Paul Institute)

8.0

Fabiana Palladino's self-titled debut album provides a coat of arms or at least a fantastically designed business card. It is executed with the functional simplicity and exquisite beauty of a perfect whole in which there is not much else. Palladino not only wrote her debut, she also produced it. Although she didn't create everything on her own, it is more like an extended family relationship. Since this extended family plays in the top music leagues, Fabiana Palladino therefore does not release anything that is not very special. While her brother Rocco and father Pino Palladino make their living as bassists (studio legend Pino has played with Paul Young and D'Angelo, among others), Fabiana is at the center of her output as a singer-songwriter.

She learned from her father how best to use her special skills to serve others. Among other things, she played piano for the Maccabees and sang for Jessie Ware. “I like to fulfill other people's visions and be strong and reliable,” Palladino says. But “being an artist completely changes the way you think.” So she first had to learn how to transfer her virtues as a helper to her own work. However, the LP about the breakup that left Fabiana Palladino devastated sounds like effortless self-confidence. But in reality, she is “afraid to publish something and regret it.” In fact, their production between 2011 and 2015 is difficult to find online.

Minimal sound space feng shui

So her official discography now begins with Paul Institute's 2017 single “Mystery.” She was first signed to banned avant-garde R&B label Jay Paul, with whom she has worked closely ever since. Like Paul, she approaches her work carefully and “piece by piece, because it's very strange and a little bit confusing.” For her first LP, Palladino wanted the highest level of production: “I grew up with music from the studios played by great musicians and recorded by brilliant sound engineers.” This clearly includes Prince with his Spartan sound space feng shui and creative boldness. While “Shoulda” may in fact be Prince's 1987 hit, the obvious Prince perceptions are limited to the details of the arrangement.

“In The Fire,” on the other hand, is reminiscent of Missy Elliott’s skeletal beats. Although the duel solo between flute and guitar reaches a surreal climax, there is nothing superfluous in the song, as there is in the entire album. If you remove an item, the story will no longer work. The opener “Closer” and the ensuing “Can You Look in the Mirror?” Select and click in a similar manner. In principle, Palladino says, the songwriting is more traditional. “But this is not the production. “I try to break certain expectations.” So, for most of the pieces it would be very embarrassing to describe them in genre terms. But the production is absolutely clear. Crystal clear and meticulously arranged, to be precise. But never soulless or sterile.

Better things await

The Motown duet “I Care” with Jay Paul best sums up the album's emotional outlook. Initially, Palladino also sought production assistance from Paul. But regarding its demos, he said: “I already produced it – and it already exists.” Today, Palladino is no longer a student. But she's a great songwriter who relies on the services of her extended family band to carve delicate sculptures out of raw, emotional material. This includes Jay Paul, Pino, and Rocco Palladino. But the handwriting belongs to Fabiana. An artist who teaches us, not only in terms of speed of publication, what is the reward for the virtue of waiting. For example, when the LP ascends to a new level of successful fireworks after an impressive first half.

Right in the middle is the crown jewel “Stay With Me Through the Night,” which is inspired by funk and disco. “But we wanted to go in a different direction in other areas of production to emphasize big emotions,” Palladino says of this first composition for the long player. “The song takes us into the emotional world I wanted to create for the rest of the album.” Lyrically, it throws us into the rubble of a long relationship, the collapse of which took with it many personal life goals. “It's painful to have to accept that it didn't work out that way,” Palladino says. But: How can I welcome this and draw strength from it? “I feel good now and I'm happy with where my life has turned out.” While the lyrics describe a desperate clinging, the self-confident performance emerges: the chapter has closed and better things wait beyond the valley.

Release date: April 5, 2024
Label: Paul Institute