Dua Saleh - Of Earth & Wires

To say that Dua Saleh’s second full-length is timely would be somewhat of an understatement: so astutely does its dual exploration of our wounded world / increasing technological encroachment speak to current conversations around AI, international conflict, and the climate crisis, it’s perhaps the most ‘2026’ record yet committed to tape. Crucially, though, that’s not to say it’s an unrelentingly nihilistic affair - rather, they skillfully marry sonics and subject matter with smart precision to instead offer an evocative, multi-faceted commentary on contemporary culture that exists at the intersection between natural and human, destruction and rebirth. Opener ‘5 Days’ is a prime case in point, its organic string-plucks and soulful vocal line gently swirling into a maelstrom of digitised percussion and vocoded shouts, the central dichotomy of ‘Of Earth & Wires’ encoded therein.

Elsewhere, ‘B r e a t h e’ is suitably airy, its bubbling beat and organ-like synths recalling ‘Slow Rush’-era Tame Impala, while ‘Cállate’ looks to skittering drum ‘n’ bass and ‘Firestorm’ invokes the buttery smoothness of ‘00s R&B. Unsurprisingly, Bon Iver’s multiple contributions are high points, yet these tracks by no means play him straight; if anything, the woozy opening bars of ‘Keep Away’ give cause to check you’ve read the feature credit correctly, but in actuality, his pure, almost gospel-like vocal tone proves the perfect foil to the song’s murkier, bassy underbelly. The intended standout, though, is surely closer ‘ALL IS LOVE’ - the point at which the album’s two strands finally fully coalesce, creating a sighing, swelling, experimental but somehow ecclesiastical declaration of hope against the odds. A record of our times.