In the opening moments of her self-titled debut album, London-based musician Fabiana Palladino sets a distinct vibe: funky, low-lit, sensuous, evoking peak-era Janet Jackson and the glamorous R&B-pop of the early 00s in equal measure. Even more impressive: she manages to hold on to that mood for the entirety of the record. This may be Palladino’s first album, but she’s already an incredibly gifted producer and songwriter, able to wring fabulous drama out of slowly churning songs and relatively minimal arrangements.
Maybe those skills are in Palladino’s blood – she’s the daughter of famed bassist Pino Palladino – or were picked up via osmosis during her time spent working with the enigmatic London producer Jai Paul. (She’s in his band and signed to his label.) There are passing similarities – some of the tones and textures overlap with Paul’s – but Palladino’s music is memorable in its own right, anchored by a hypnotic voice that’s by turns fluttery and forceful. Written over the course of a few years, while Palladino was working as a session musician for artists such as Jessie Ware and SBTRKT, her album possesses an exacting drive. Stay With Me Through the Night is the kind of rigid, perfectionist funk that proliferated through the 70s and 80s, while closer Forever, which is richly orchestrated with strings, is a bright, entrancing power ballad. It’s a sharp debut that knows the power of patience and tension.
• Fabiana Palladino’s self-titled debut is out now via Paul Institute / XL Recordings. She tours from 16 May to 24 August
