Dua Saleh’s second album, Of Earth and Wires, tackles climate collapse, AI dominance, and the civil war in Sudan, but its execution is more restrained than its urgent themes suggest. The Sudanese-American musician, known for collaborations with Travis Scott and a role in Netflix’s Sex Education, blends spoken-word poetry, rap, falsetto, and acoustic guitar on the opening track, 5 Days, which promises an exhilarating ride.
However, the album quickly settles into a cautious tone. Tracks like I Do, I Do offer glimpses of narrative over warm, earthy production, featuring a Sudanese proverb and oud, while Flood, a duet with Bon Iver, meanders through imagery of biblical rebirth and climate extremes. Firestorm, a love song set against the LA fires, lacks heat, with references to burnt-tyre fumes reduced to mere backdrop.
Saleh’s unique artistic voice shines through, but the album’s heartfelt hope on the choral closer, All Is Love, fails to land as intended. Critics note that moments of tension and release would breathe more life into the stories, leaving the ambitious project feeling underbaked.
