Jibóia’s "Salar" is a mind-bending voyage through a psychedelic soundscape, as rich and diverse as the deserts it’s named after. This Lisbon-based trio, known for their sonic explorations, returns with a globally-inspired, experimental album that stitches together elements of world music, jazz, and electronic experimentation. Collaborators, such as Joana Guerra on cello and Ayoub El Ayady’s Moroccan voice, amplify the album’s rich textures, creating an almost surreal auditory adventure. "Salar" transcends genres, cultures, and borders with ease, delivering a work that feels simultaneously rooted and otherworldly.

At its core, "Salar" plays like a guided meditation through the most unexpected of landscapes, where each track is its own continent, with micro-moments (like the shorter "Salar" vignettes) acting as intercontinental flights. The globe-trotting continues in “Solar”, where Silva’s exotic string work intertwines with Yaw Tembe’s free-spirited trumpet lines, recalling sun-soaked adventures somewhere between North Africa and a futuristic jazz lounge. The blend of traditional instrumentation with cutting-edge electronic textures mirrors Jibóia’s ability to balance history and innovation with reckless abandon.

Duende-laden “Sitar” brings forward the haunting vocals of Ayoub El Ayady, dripping with mysticism, while Filho da Mãe’s dissonant guitars in “Sarar” slice through the percussive layers like a knife, injecting the record with raw energy. Yet, it’s the concluding track, “Salir”, with its enchanted flute by Daiyen Jone, that offers the album’s most reflective moment - a perfect sunset to the day's audio journey, fading into contemplative synths and organic handclaps.

Jibóia doesn't just deliver an album; they offer a multidimensional experience, one that’s contemplative, vibrant, and cinematic. One might be tempted to call it "globetrotter psych" or some other genre fusion, but that wouldn’t do justice to the intangible sense of place and memory "Salar" evokes. This is Jibóia at their most expansive and transformative - no passport required, but an open mind is essential.