Friday, August 27, 2010

Bliss N Eso - Running on Air (2010)

So. Finally I'm back, after a long absence I have returned to my blog with a "few" new albums added to my collection. I've decided, due to my return being such big news in the world of Oz Hip Hop (pffffffft). It's only fair I review one of the biggest releases of the year.

Bliss N Eso's - Running on Air.

Insted of beginning with a brief history of the group, as I'm certain all of you know exactly who Bliss N Eso are, I'm going to get straight into the review.

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Running on Air (2010)

Running on Air is the fourth studio album by the Australian hip hop trio Bliss n Eso. It was released on July 30, 2010. The album debuted at number one in Australia for the week commencing August 9, 2010. It has since been certified Gold on the ARIA charts.

This album contains 19 tracks (16 tracks, 3 skits)


  1. "Never Land" – 2:10
  2. "Flying Through the City" – 3:17
  3. "Addicted" – 3:51
  4. "Down by the River" – 2:54
  5. "The Moses Twist" – 4:16
  6. "Art House Audio" – 3:02
  7. "Family Affair" – 3:56
  8. "Reflections" – 3:05
  9. "Coastal Kids" – 3:57
  10. "People Up on It" (featuring Xzibit) – 4:26
  11. "Caught at the Pub" – 2:05
  12. "Where the Wild Things Are" (featuring Mind Over Matter) – 4:12
  13. "The Children of the Night" – 4:47
  14. "Smoke Like a Fire" (featuring RZA) – 3:52
  15. "Re-Debating Reality" – 0:51
  16. "Late One Night" – 3:42
  17. "I Can" (featuring Jehst) – 4:13
  18. "Weightless Wings" – 3:29
  19. "Golden Years" – 2:58
This album is rather difficult to review for me as, since I can remember, I have followed Bliss N Eso's carreer, even in their early years when they were Bliss n Esoterikizm, that being said, this review will not be biased in anyway as I can tell you that this album is not perfect, but it is as close as can be.

This album is full of strange & wonder-us styles of music, nothing any fan of Australian Hip Hop has come to expect from the trio, or anyone else in this genre for that matter. Running on Air is one of those "rise & fall" albums, in the sense that it has songs that can pump you up and songs that can bring you down, a bit like drugs right?

I'm certain every person who is a fan of this genre owns this album, or has at least checked it out at some point at time.

Now the first time I put this album in my disc tray I expected an opening skit, in the fashion of Bliss N Eso, and no surprise I got one. Now, I'm not saying Skits/Intro's aren't a great addition to any album, some make an album just that little bit more special, but, some times it just doesn't work, and I think Never Land is one of those. It doesn't lead into anything or come from anything.

When I first heard Flying Through The City I was impressed. A nice fast paced track that had me dancing around the room and bobbing a long like I hadn't done in a very long time. This track is a very fun track and I can sense it was written that way. It sets the tone for the album in a very good manner.

Addicted followed, and I'll be honest, at first, I wasn't a fan but after listening to it over and over again, I warmed to it. It has a very "homley" feel to it and I can tell why its getting regular air play.

Obviously Down by the River was written as a hit, I could listen to that track for four days straight and not get sick of it. Again a very fun track. A good one to play when your chilling at home with mates or something.

Family Affair was another favourite of mine, as I think I & every other Australian can relate. Most of us have families we love & care about and most of us have found memories of our time with them. Every time I played this song it put me at a family gathering, reminded me of Christmas lunch with my big family.

Now another very exciting thing, for me anyway, was the fact the boys managed to get Xzibit on People up on It. I've always been a big fan of X and the combination of X & BnE work very well together. People up on It is an awesome track, feels like that raw hip-hop that I know & love.

The album finishes up with Golden Years. This track was a favourite of mine as I can relate to it. This is a story, about a life that every person has experienced at some point in time. I can't exactly portray my love for this track with words

Running on Air is one of those albums that your going to love, or hate. Even if you can't stand a track or two, majority of Australian Hip Hoppers will love this album, and for those that don't, that is their decision, but know that this album does take a little bit longer then most to warm to.

The boys have done very well in representing our country in a game we did not create but some how have mastered. BnE are getting some huge reception over-seas, and just announced a 25 date tour of the US. This album is only going to help their notoriety.
8.5/10

RK

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