Circus in The Sky - Bliss N Eso - Album Review

Soldiers! Don’t fight for slavery! Fight for liberty! In the 17th Chapter of St. Luke it is written: “the Kingdom ofGod is within man” — not one man nor a group of men, but in all men! In you! You, the people have the power — the power to create machines. The power to create happiness! You, the people, have the power to make this life free and beautiful, to make this life a wonderful adventure. Then, in the name of democracy, let us use that power! Let us all … Unite!

Tingles run down spines as the echoes of Charlie Chaplin’s famous Barber’s speech ebbs away, signifying the beginning of Bliss n Eso’s fifth studio album, Circus In The Sky. As the album cover suggests, the album is a colourful adventure through what the trio does best: inspirational, anthemic hip-hop. Taking huge steps forward in both production and lyrical quality, it sets a new bar for hip-hop music in Australia.

You don’t have to look far to see that Bliss n Eso are passionate about what they create. With their debut album dropping almost ten years ago, Eso explained that enjoying the process was the most important part in a recent interview with Project U: “If we didn’t have fun doing it, we would stop. I can’t see me stopping. I can imagine being on a verandah, rapping into a microphone with a long grey beard and little pink glasses, on mushies doing my gardening.”

Three years in the making, Bliss (Jonathan Motley), Eso (Max McKinnon) and DJ Izm (Tarik Ejjamai) travelled the world, garnering new sounds and samples to create Circus In The Sky. They had their first live strings experience (as heard on first single ‘House of Dreams’) and caught up with the one and only Nas to feature on the epic ‘I Am Somebody’. After past cameos by Wu-Tang Clan’s RZA and Xzibit, Nas’ relentless verse confirms BnE as arguably Australia’s hottest hip-hop export.

Bliss n Eso continue their habit of long records – their latest clocks in at an hour long with 17 songs – but this works in their favour. While many artists, hip-hop especially, struggle to keep momentum flowing through a longer album (Tyler, The Creator’s hit-and-miss Wolf with 18 songs and Kanye West’s terrific Yeezus with 10 songs are prime examples), the variation and themes shown in each song keep the listener interested. While some songs feel somewhat isolated or out place, the use of triumphant opening and closing tracks gives the album a longer-lasting appeal.

The trio also make listening more appealing and familiar by chucking in their take on favourite Aussie tracks –Bluejuice’s ‘Act Your Age’, Sarah Blasko’s ‘We Won’t Run’ and Emma Louise’s ‘Jungle’, displaying their connection to the Australian public. In a recently released documentary on the making of the album, Bliss explains the difference between American (his home country) and Australian rap: Aussie rappers are just like you and me. “It’s not saturated with the commercialism like in the States: the gun culture, the violence, the cash, the women, we don’t have that- in America, the rapper is up the top, ballin’, and the listener is just listening. In Australia, its much more on the same plane, talking to one other.” Tracks such as ‘Act Your Age’ are a light-hearted piece of jolly fun that feels right at home on the album considering the good nature of the group. Faecal jokes are dumped (pardon the pun) around the album, so even the ones with immature minds can enjoy Eso’s humour.

Circus In The Sky sends its messages loud and clear: ‘Home Is Where The Heart Is’ is a uncomplicated, harmless ode to enjoying the little things, and a shoutout to the past and beginnings of BnE but perhaps not satisfying or complex enough for an album single. Through the album, positivity is emitted- the power of positive thinking is elaborated more and more in every track (most powerful in ‘Life’s Midnight’ and ‘Can’t Get Rid Of This Feeling’ featuring R&B singer Daniel Merriweather) and the duo preach about hard work and creativity, something obviously necessary in creating an album to the magnitude of Circus In The Sky.

The modest and unsung hero of Bliss n Eso, DJ Izm, even gets his own track to show off his skills. ‘Cialis Cuts’ features an unlikely guest: YouTube sensation Alex ‘Shooter’ Williamson, better known as the Loosest Aussie Bloke. Izm is the one to thank for the mind-blowing production on Circus In The Sky, and his subtle but important variation and instrumentals are the centrepiece of the album, and hold it together when either of the rappers stray off-piste. Another welcome addition to the album are the sublime samples: lines from Tupac, Biggie Smalls and Andre 3000 feel right at home among an album whose creators grew up on influences such as Wu-Tang Clan, Public Enemy and Ice Cube. The rapping duo also finds time to shout out modern legends such as Kanye and Kendrick Lamar, so it is comforting to see they are drawing inspiration from all eras of hip-hop.

If there is one trait that BnE have developed in recent years, it is that massive, memorable chorus, which can be heard in many of the tracks on Circus In The Sky. Although they are hugely satisfying to bellow out at concerts (or in the shower), the simple fact is that neither Bliss nor Eso are singers. They attempt to cover this up by singing in unison, or, more effectively, sample or bring in other artists to sing the chorus, but to hear the drawn-out groans in ‘House of Dreams’ or the giddily triumphant ‘ayy-o’s in ‘I Am Somebody’ when you just want to listen to the music, it can be slightly off-putting.

Having said that, the most memorable tracks are those that are the most triumphant. These are the tracks that truly deliver and give off that trademark BnE sound; but there are little gems such as collaborative effort ‘Reservoir Dogs’. Combining Aussie hip-hop superpowers 360, Pez, Seth Sentry and Drapht, the quintet spit memorable bars, grabbing the mike off each other like hungry kids. This escapade occurs over an oddly funky little flute/saxophone groove: Pez explains ‘Sounds a bit like a musical / doesn’t matter, we make any kind of music cool’. Once again the show-stealer, the one and only Seth Sentry completely owns his verse, combing his trademark witty humour and slippery flow to nail his cameo, which predominately concerns video games, Cheetos, pork rolls, and accidentally leaving his pot in Chapelle Corby’s bags. Whoops.

At the end of the day, after all the collaborations, samples, DJ scratches and monster choruses, the album is highlighted and defined by opening song ‘Pale Blue Dot’. When Bliss first claims that he lifts off through the clouds and looks down on Earth and labels it as the name of the track, you know that its going to be something special. Mid verse, he says “From here earth looks like a Pale Blue Dot in the vast enveloping cosmic dark/ And suddenly the problems of our world fall apart with the conscious spark/ That our similarities far outweigh our differences, we see how connected life is”. Quite simply, this is a beautiful piece of music: just two middle-class, true blue Aussie men, calling for unity, equality and positivity. The duo consistently delivers with such passion that is impossible not to feel moved by the simple message that so many of us find it hard to comply with in today’s society.

Wherever Bliss, Eso and Izm end up- whether it be worldwide superstars or sitting on the veranda on shrooms, everyone that listens to Circus In The Sky will know they are doing a good job for the human race. There isn’t much more you can do in life other than live fulfilled and happy, and Bliss n Eso are doing it and spreading the positive message wherever their music reaches. We may be only on the Pale Blue Dot for a short amount of time, but ones thing’s for sure: Bliss n Eso are making the most of it.

7.5/10

Review by Ruben Seaton

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