Lyrical fingerpicking and suspended harmonies unfurl over the course of How Can We Say Nothing from Palestinian-Canadian guitarist and composer Bilal Nasser. Its influences are wide-reaching: We hear shoegaze-like vocals and sampled skateboard wheels, lush orchestral strings and synths, and phrases reminiscent of Ravel’s impressionistic earworms. Nasser’s post-classical playing highlights his facility and comfort on the instrument—he performs virtuosic arpeggiations in alternate tunings with ease. The record is encased in tenderness, appearing in hushed guitar harmonics, personal field recordings, or the familiar lo-fi scraping of fingers across strings. These are contrasted with harsher reckonings. “Barely Here” leans into the emo realm with Nasser crooning “I’m scared saying it out loud won’t make it go away,” which eventually becomes full-throated screaming.
Completed before the October 7 escalation of genocidal violence in occupied Palestine, the album’s title, its artwork featuring Nasser’s grandparents (who were 1948 Nakba survivors), and its interweaving of home video samples take on new contextual meaning. On the final track, Nasser soberly sings the titular “How can we say nothing?”—a now politicized sentiment. How can we say nothing about Palestine?
Nasser’s sophomore release is a testament to vulnerability and transformative introspection crafted through fluid and nostalgic composition, offering a shimmering suite of hope in an impossibly dark hour.
YAZ LANCASTER is a transdisciplinary artist residing in Lenapehoking (New York City). Their work as a performer, composer, poet/writer, and collaborator is grounded in queer, DIY, and liberatory frameworks.