Nabihah Iqbal – DREAMER
At its high points, Nabihah Iqbal's new album DREAMER evokes otherworldly space, but a more pared-down edit could better highlight its strengths
DREAMER opens unconventionally, with near seven-minute self-described ‘palate cleanser’ In Light initiating us into Iqbal’s ambient dreamscapes. It’s an interesting start into the artist’s second album, where introspection, spirituality and naturistic elements converge. While Iqbal’s critically acclaimed debut Weighing of the Heart's use of space and starkness felt purposeful, on DREAMER this is somewhat lost, with fewer anchor points to guide us through the haze.
However, the album shines at points where Iqbal combines ethereality with grit. On standout track Sky River, trance beats dominate while synths pierce from above, while on Closer Lover percussive elements lead to a satisfying crescendo. Lead single This World Couldn’t See Us is a grippingly futuristic take on the ‘us against the world’ trope, with Iqbal singing ‘Swollen river / Swollen eyes’ with arresting urgency.
Indeed, there is a lot of good here: at its high points, DREAMER evokes liminal, otherworldly space, later finding us amid fog-drenched dancefloors, beats pounding. Yet, despite a relatively concise tracklist of ten songs, at points the 45-minute runtime seems to drag on, giving the album a sense of heaviness. Not dissimilar ambient sounds wash into one another – overall perhaps a more pared-down curation could better highlight the album’s strengths.
Listen to: This World Couldn’t See Us, Sky River