Federico Albanese - Blackbirds and the Sun of October (2025) (Hi-Res)

“‘Blackbirds and the Sun of October’ really represents my influences, even from my past. There is everything in there: my passion for jazz, classical, progressive . music. It’s definitely a song that sets a tone for the rest of the album.” – Federico Albanese Based only on the title and the cover art, you wouldn't be weird for thinking that pianist Federico Albanese has abandoned his primary instrument and his penchant for delicate, ambient classical crossover to indulge in a folksy exploration of Harvest–inspired acoustic indie rock. Albanese has not pivoted to a rustic six-string, some open chords, and a notebook of rhyming couplets, but he has sought to give Blackbirds and the Sun of October a decidedly different tone than his previous records. Though born in Italy, Albanese has spent the last few years working in Berlin; in fact, his entire career has developed while he was living in the city. As may be familiar to those who have entered the family-and-kids phase of life, his roots beckoned him, and, a couple of autumns ago, he left the modern, urban cityscape of Berlin and returned to his more pastoral birthplace where, unsurprisingly, his inspiration experienced something of a shift.

Albanese is very much in a familiar mode of composition, and the material on Blackbirds still finds him merging spare piano work with tranquil, semi-ambient arrangements. However, the end results feel far more organic and naturally nostalgic. The percussive and nearly swinging "Bloom" is both the most immediately engaging and "pop"-like piece, as well as the most cinematic and visceral. Its tenor and intensity, though, are somewhat out of place on this largely languid album. Equally invigorating, but somewhat more vibe-consistent, is the gentle energy of "Adelasia." While it, like so many of Albanese's pieces, swells cinematically and revels in beautiful dynamics—especially when those swells abruptly halt, leaving the listener with a moment of empty space just before the piano gently returns—it also evokes the sort of pensiveness and organic charm that informs much of Blackbirds. © Jason Ferguson

Tracklist
1 Into the Sun
2 Ulysses
3 A Story Yet to Be Told
4 Bloom
5 The Prince and the Emperor
6 Blackbirds and the Sun of October
7 Your Spell
8 Adelasia
9 The Libertine
10 Song for the Village
11 Sway
12 Re-Sphere
13 Wallpaper of Dreams