The most natural power derives from the four elements: earth, water, air, and fire.

This quartet of forces fuses art to life. As such, Emel Mathlouthi aligns nature and music on her third full-length album, Everywhere We Looked Was Burning (via Partisan Records).

Striking a balance between eloquent songcraft, sparse instrumentation, and the voices of the woods, wind, sea, and flames, the Tunisia-born and New York-based singer heralds revolution by trumpeting creative experimentation.

As the story goes, Emel Mathlouthi offset an oppressive upbringing in the North African country of Tunisia by turning to music. Inspired by everything from Joan Baez, Janis Joplin, Led Zeppelin, and Bob Dylan to Sinéad O’Connor, The Cranberries, and Alanis Morissette, she went from performing in a high school heavy metal band to composing protest songs that spurned a fervent social media following for her artful amalgam of heartfelt melodies and off-kilter electronic production.