Fatima Al Qadiri's third full-length takes inspiration from classical poetry written by Arab women, revisiting medieval fantasies the composer had as a youth. The music isn't tied to any specific era -- beats are used sparingly, and the delicate, digitally crafted melodies are influenced by Arabic traditions without replicating them. The songs are sparsely arranged but expressive, surrounding the melodies and Al Qadiri's entrancing vocals with vast pools of reverb. "Sheba" opens and closes with haunting organs, and is pushed along by trap-lite beats, but only for a few brief moments. Tracks like "Vanity" pair celestial, mantra-like vocals with more detailed melodies; "Qasmuna (Dreaming)," with trippy synth whooshes and weightless chanting, is a particularly affecting piece of ambient pop. The nearly Gothic, Arabic-sung "Malaak" and the gently creeping "Tasakuba" are the album's darkest, most foreboding pieces, but the flute-laden "Zandaq" lets a bit more light in at the album's conclusion. Channeling the sense of yearning expressed by the poetry the album draws from, Medieval Femme is sorrowful yet freeing.