It’s been four years since Bliss n Eso released Circus in the Sky, now the trio have released their sixth album overall and their fourth since their slight thematic reinvention that began with Flying Colours. Now with Off the Grid the rap group have delivered an album that has its definite highs and lows, but comes off as having a major identity crisis.

The singles that we got from Bliss n Eso, starting off with Dopamine (feat. Thief) through to Blue, painted a picture of what we were going to get. A slightly darker and more mature album that also had its uplifting and hopeful undertones. Songs like Friend Like You (feat. Lee Fields) and Blue offer an insight into the effect that Bliss n Eso’s music has had on their listeners and how their listeners effect them. The songs tell of darker moments in their career, and how they overcame them. Moments (feat. Gavin James) is a sweet little tune that describes the beautiful and memorable times in life for Bliss and/or Eso that make everything worth while, the track offers relatable lyrics adding to the listeners experience.

Though, as a whole, the album seems to sacrifice these more personal journeys for commercial and youth appeal. Tracks such as Coolin’ (feat. Dizzy Wright & Rob Curly) plays as a track that tried to incorporate as much modern-young-teen jargon as it could. Whatever Happened to the DJ shines a little light on where Bliss n Eso have been in the last four years, but comes off as an incredibly corny filler track. Soul Glo (feat. Lee Fields & Tabi Gazele), while it has its moments (like Lee Fields on the hook) it sounds like Act Your Age 2.0 with a few cringe-worthy one-liners. The track is also accompanied by an extremely left-field skit that was so out of place it had no comedic value. It’s tracks like this that take away from the meaning and tone of other songs.

A stand-out, for the majority of the album, was the production. Tear The Roof Off (feat. Watsky) had a very eerie high-pitched vocal sample that worked great for the tonal direction of the track. The use of backing choir-like vocals worked brilliantly with the tracks they were in, adding a forceful layer to the respective track’s emotion. The incorporation of some house style bass drums into tracks like Dopamine and Tear The Roof Off added depth and a feeling of progression for Bliss n Eso’s sound. The diverse arrangements of hi hat loops offers a breath of fresh air to the standard way hi hats have been used lately in modern Hip-Hop Trap production. I also have to mention the drop in Great Escape, while feeling out place it was still a highlight for the album.

The main problem that the album faces are its thematic elements. There are a few tracks that touch on a the problems that both Bliss and Eso have faced with binge drinking. The song Devil On My Shoulder is all about that, talking about how the party life on tour eventuated into a binge drinking problem. Lyrically and production wise the song is one of the best on the album, though it’s songs that surround it that completely dilapidate the track’s meaning. Birds in the Sky and Great Escape are songs that are dedicated to the idea of how great “partying” is, and while they might not be talking about drinking, replacing alcohol with other drugs takes even more impact away from the message Devil On My Shoulder was trying to get across.

One thing that splits the album in two, as I have touched on a bit already, is the writing. We’re given some great insights into the minds and lives of the rappers, and I have always been a big fan of Eso’s fantastical way of writing. The best written songs on the album were the most enjoyable, tracks like Blue where we really got a sense of the dedication and care Bliss n Eso have for their fans and vice versa.  Though too many times we get corny lines that feel like they came straight off Day of the Dog but without half of the humour that those lines were delivered with. Lines such as “…soul glows like I’m that sexual white chocolate” and “let sunshine come and tickle my balls”. Makes you wonder how much older Bliss n Eso have to get for lyrics like that to die out. Though this isn’t to say the album isn’t short of some smart and funny one-liners. And I don’t think I’ve heard the word H.A.M. get used this many times on a record since Jay and Yeezy’s Watch the Throne.

A real positive for the album was the performances from the entire trio, excluding Bliss singing. The chemistry between Bliss and Eso is superb, especially when we get some duality between the two throughout. We get a real feeling of Bliss being that edge that contrasts well with Eso when he gets a bit crazy. Izm delivers incredibly well with his DJ work, giving the fans his signature scratches and loops.

Off the Grid isn’t Bliss n Eso’s best album, whenever I found it impressive there seemed to be an eye-rolling moment to follow. My favourite tracks from Bliss n Eso are the ones that have a dark feeling to them, like Field of Dreams, Late One Night or Destiny Lane, incorporate great instrumentation, such as the string sections on House of Dreams, or deliver that perfect feeling of light aggression or hope with performances, given on songs like Life’s Midnight, Reflections and Sea is Rising. While this album still has these elements, elements that made me a fan of one of Australia’s most well known Hip-Hop groups, they feel watered down for commercial appeal. I was very hopeful for this album with the more mature tone that was given on their singles, though the album plays like it has two things that it wants to be and unfortunately this compromises the overall quality of the album.