“Malo Methal” pair’s Morhaf Al Achkar’s percussive oud work with his lively vocals and a touch of flute helping to carry a melody over the top. One hears in Al Achkar’s voice a sense of curiosity, wonder and yearning. The orchestration of the song interweaves the instrumentation while allowing various aspects to shine in moments as rhythms complement each other in a dynamic that feels continuously expansive. The flute accents Al Achkar’s vocals as both counter melody and harmony and in the extended lines mid song there is a sweet spot of emotional resonance that sends the song into quietly transcendent spaces before reeling back into the grounding of oud to the front at song’s end. It’s an example of the beautifully thought-provoking and nuanced compositions to be found on Al Achkar’s album Mabsoota which released on November 4, 2022. Maybe it’s the fact that the musician is a survivor of stage IV lung cancer as of 2016 that gives the music a subtle vitality and intensity in its clear joy and playfulness but the work also speaks for itself in the imagination of its arrangements. Listen to “Malo Methal” on Spotify and follow Al Achkar at the links below.
Queen City Sounds and Art 
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