by Ben Hogwood

What’s the story?

DREAMER, Nabihah Iqbal’s follow-up album to her debut Weighing Of The Heart, stands as a story of resolve in the face of considerable hardship.

In early 2020, just as the pandemic was beginning to take hold, Iqbal’s studio was burgled and all her work lost – including the album on which she was working. By this time she was suffering from extreme fatigue and had sustained a broken hand, but worse was to come as her grandfather suffered a brain haemorrhage, and she had to travel to Pakistan to be with the family.

The relocation was unexpectedly beneficial for her music, as she returned to basics away from the electronic trappings, using an acoustic guitar and harmonium to make much of her music. Although the genesis of DREAMER was changed with her experiences, Iqbal found inner strength and power for her music, adding new colours and shades to her sound.

What’s the music like?

Having read the story behind the music you might expect a morose, navel-gazing album – but nothing could be further from the truth. Instead what we have here is music full of rich colours, resolve and positivity, finding an inner strength and power.

The shimmering textures of In Light set the scene, brighly coloured and soaked in heat. This is a theme continued by the sweet melancholy of Dreamer, but which reaches a peak on Sunflower, a heady rush akin to being in the middle of a dancefloor breakdown in the mid 90s. “Count the steps of the sun, comfort me sweet golden one”, speaks Iqbal poetically.

As the album progresses so more acoustic themes are revealed. The descriptive Lilac Twilight presents a rich acoustic picture, while the final three tracks, of a more thoughtful persuasion, offer an aside to self over largely non-digital sound pictures. By contrast, Gentle Heart presents a sumptuous deep house landscape, while Aky River reaches even more vividly for the light, with a strong beat in tow.

Does it all work?

It does. Iqbal’s music casts an unusual light, in a good way – and the lyrical content, while relatively sparse on occasion, is always meaningful. The balance of instrumental and vocal is just right too,

Is it recommended?

It is – this is a rather special album, and responds well to being played at volume!

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