Underwater

Underwater marks a significant moment in Ludovico Einaudi’s discography as his first full-length solo piano album in over twenty years. Born out of the 2020 lockdown, the record eschews the lush string arrangements and electronic textures found on 'Seven Days Walking' or 'In a Time Lapse' in favor of a stark, intimate minimalism. Recorded at his home in Italy, the album's title reflects a metaphor for the 'suspended time' experienced during the global pandemic. Sonically, the album is characterized by a 'felted' piano sound, where the high frequencies are softened to create a warm, muted timbre. Critics from AllMusic and laut.de noted the album's purity and its departure from his more commercial, 'pop-classical' leanings, praising the raw emotional honesty found in the mechanical imperfections of the recording. It stands as a masterclass in restraint, proving Einaudi's ability to command global attention with nothing more than ten fingers and a quiet room.