Mali Music Crackles With The Beautiful Side of Life

Jamaal Pollard, Mali Music on stage, practices what his current single "Beautiful" preaches. It's to his credit that he's not weighed down by overproduced backup. Each player in the ensemble buoys how beautiful the world Mali's creating really is. Since the melodies are pleasing overall and there's not much justice I can honestly bestow upon this song other than giving you a sincere thumbs aloft, I'm going to tell you, in opinion's name only, what kinds of urban settings "Beautiful" would liven up. Let's start with drumming. Say you're in a metropolitan area with tons of wonderful opportunities for window shopping. The drums kick instead of slap in the breeze as some R & B inflected projects do. You really have a fine night to remember if there's a cool breeze thrown in for good measure. Next, there's the piano. Where Elton John would dive into the eighty eights like some overeager pre-teen launching himself into the swimming pool, Mali's backup ivory tickler waters carefully. The zingy result is a flower blooming in carefully measured real time. We can watch with rapt gaze as the seedling becomes the affecting blossom which is a complement to any decor. There's no drop-off in chutzpah on the bass end of this throwdown. Many artistic creations benefit from the addition of body. That spreads across many kinds of expression. Whether we're talking the legs on fine wine, the variety of hops in beer, the deeply seared grill marks on choice sirloin, or a bass guitar swiveling lustfully, body equals life. "Beautiful" is a bonafide elixir useful for anyone whose jaded take on the world has deprived them of much reason to celebrate. The last time I noticed the "head up to the sky" pose for human daily existence was in 1995 when Des'ree inescapably commanded radios everywhere with "You Gotta' Be". While catchy, that song was overly nagging. Mali Music's message suits any setting where one's guard could stand to be loosened up. He finds it a blessing when people have their heads up to the sky. That means htere's anywhere from a glimmer to an entire gold mine full of hope. Right on time for an age where less energy could be wasted carping about the discombobulated way the world is and more could be spent working up some enthusiasm regarding possibilities for how the world could be given sharp focus. Mali could be accused, lovingly so, of dropping throwback imagery in his lyrics in the form of that concert standby, the lighter held in the air. Nowadays I think that's been replaced by the cooler than you glow of cell phone screens. Retro isn't a useless tool beside Mali's captivating spring waters. The lighter serves as a beacon for two hearts drawn together, then pointed in the same presumably right direction. After an arduous day at the office, slipping into comfy clothes and slipping Mali into the iPod rotation nets you positive steps towards a wholesome, revitalizing backdrop to replenishing dinner. Raise your hands high with Mali. He's trying to remind us how beautiful we are after peeling back the layers of the modern wilderness we traverse every day. We forget too easily. Mali needs big ups for popping the proper attitude back in our minds.