One Bright Day

by Jose F. PromisZiggy Marley's One Bright Day, his follow-up to his breakthrough Conscious Party, is a solid, satisfying album, possessing an air of optimism and self-empowerment without sounding preachy or arrogant. Each track shines with its mix of intelligent lyrics, sunny music, and intoxicating rhythms. The album spawned the hit "Look Who's Dancing," an irresistible slice of ragga-dance augmented by a rap in the breakdown and the Marley sisters' always-appealing background vocals. Other highlights include the funky title track, where the Marley sisters' vocals truly take center stage, the Middle Eastern-influenced "Pains of Life," and the celebratory "Black My Story," which is a mini-cultural geography lesson in and of itself. The mid-tempo "Justice" and "Love Is the Only Law," the soulful "Urban Music," and the singles "Who Will Be There" and "When the Lights Go Out" are all standout cuts as well. As a matter of fact, there's not a single dud on this thoroughly engaging set, which helped to further cement Ziggy Marley & the Melody Makers as first-rate artists in their own right.