(XL)
The musician’s long-gestating debut album melds killer tunes to grimy distortion and the scuffed gloss of Jam and Lewis-era Janet Jackson, and marks the flowering of an original pop voice
Describing debut albums as long-awaited is par for the course, but in Fabiana Palladino’s case it’s also perfectly true. It’s been 13 years since she started self-releasing her songs online, and seven since she was announced as the first signing to Paul Institute, a label that seems to share the admirably unhurried approach of its co-founder, Jai Paul.
Few figures in 21st-century pop seem to have achieved so much by doing so little as Paul, who has managed to garner an extraordinary reputation – the Guardian has described him as both “era-defining” and “a once-in-a-lifetime talent” – despite the fact that he’s only released three official singles in a music career that stretches back to 2007. His endorsement carries considerable clout, but Palladino’s output seemed to slow rather than accelerate after she became involved with Paul Institute.
