Decca release Stephan Moccio's new album of lush, relaxing piano pieces, Lionheart. After a successful career in the music industry working with Celine Dion, Dua Lipa and The Weeknd, Moccio has jumped to the opposite side of the musical spectrum with his current work. As one of the fastest streamed piano albums, Stephan is on a mission to "slow the world down" with his music...

One of the downsides to lockdown, as far as media production has been concerned, is that a lot of artists have taken the opportunity to record and release album's from home - lot of which have substandard production values. And while Stephan Moccio's overall recording quality isn't too bad, on a handful of the tracks it picks up his breathing, which is a little distracting.

When I was much younger the world seemed to be gripped by a young French pianist called Richard Clayderman. And I don't think we saw the public being gripped by solo piano artists again until Ludovico Einaudi rose to prominence in recent years. I do so hope that Moccio is taken to the public's heart in the same way as Einaudi has been. Personally I think Moccio's music is more emotive and certainly more enjoyable.

The album contains 11 tracks (51 min, 28 sec) and while they're all very different, they beautifully merge into one stream of consciousness. This is certainly an LP you can put on and soak up from start to finish and then repeat for hours at a time. It's also a release that you'll want to return to for years to come.

9

Nick Smithson