Five years have passed since Mac Miller’s was released. circlean absolutely gorgeous and hopeful record, and an example of how posthumous releases should be treated. It will be difficult for the late Pittsburgh rapper’s second posthumous album to garner the same reputation, but it’s far from a reckless money grab. balloonism presents a collection of material that fans are already familiar with in one way or another in a careful and enlightening manner. It was recorded between 2013 and 2014, during a period of creative explosion. Watch a movie with the sound off, faceand go oh amis also pleased with his versatile and self-motivated approach while diving into his struggles with mental health and substance abuse. After making the leap from light-hearted hip-hop jams to dark, experimental hip-hop jams, where his career would go next was just one thing on Miller’s mind. balloonism It can be challenging not only to capture a moment in time, but also to prevent it from just drifting away.
1. Tambourine Dream
This 30-minute tambourine instrumental sets the tone for the album, but it also offers a glimpse into the freewheeling sessions at Miller’s Sanctuary Studios where it was produced. Engineer Josh Berg revealed on his Twitch stream that it was actually the same tambourine that was used all the time in Mac’s music and had its own improvised stand in the studio.
2. DJ’s Chord Organ feat. SZA
Spotlighting the chord organ that Miller learned after executive producing the Daniel Johnston biopic, the cut makes it even clearer that Miller holds a particular instrument in high regard. Hello, how are you Daniel Johnston?. Learn that Miller is credited on SZA’s 2014 project Z This collaboration, done under producer alias Larry Fisherman, feels like an extension of their friendship. What begins as a kaleidoscopic hangout, the trip eventually becomes controlled into a dark, soulful depiction of exhaustion, even with Thundercat’s ever-living bass echoing through. I feel depressed.
3. Do you have a destination?
“Fucking rich and miserable” pretty powerfully sums up the rapper’s creative headspace. balloonismand the title “Do You Have a Destination?” only feels even more ominous in retrospect. But the way Miller actually delivers and enunciates the lyrics sounds more matter-of-fact than anything, almost morbidly curious, which only serves to further disorient you.
4. $5 Pony Ride
“5 Dollar Pony Rides,” ostensibly the album’s freshest and most sonically pleasing track, would have made sense as a single, but the entire project had already been leaked at the time of its release. In the context of balloonism“Can I give you what you want?” It’s not hard to sense the distance between Miller’s longing and the relationship in question beneath the surface. increasingly scans as an appeal of despair. It quickly becomes clear that much of what he is about to taste has already been lost.
5. Gentle hallucination
balloonism It might register as a looser collection of songs, but the chorus of “Friendly Hallucinations” is as infectiously melodic as the album’s best. circle. Although it may sound vampiric and stupefying, the album certainly feels coherent as it navigates a world of detachment, holding tight to Miller’s signature seriousness. . “I became a victim of a world full of satire,” he raps, eschewing that very expression.
6. Mrs. Deborah Downer
Miller still knew how to wring depth out of listless haze. Deborah Downer is right in the middle of it all. balloonism. The song is as mesmerizing as it is philosophical, especially the languid second verse. “What’s the difference between the truth and what we’re pretending?” he muses over a thumping beat, seemingly losing control but becoming more and more self-aware.
7. Stoned
A catchier, more anthemic tone than any other song balloonism“Stoned” finds Miller turning his gaze outward, but his psychoanalytic eye picks up on the same escapist tendencies in his love interest that he already recognizes within himself. are. Sharing it can give you peace of mind even when you are alone.
8. Shangri-La
Believed to have been recorded at Rick Rubin’s Shangri-La Studios in Malibu, California, the song is hazier and more experimental than its predecessors, not only sonically but also in its distorted sense of time. It becomes. Here is balloonism You start zoning out, but the quality doesn’t drop. You lean a little closer just to catch the words he spits out in his deep voice. You’ll be laughing at my funeral. ” You can hardly read the emotion behind the lines, but they certainly stick with you.
9. Interesting paper
Mortality hasn’t been an uncommon theme in Mac Miller’s discography, but the fact that his thoughts on mortality here are as prescient as the album’s most heart-wrenching songs has a strange resonance. circle. ‘Funny Papers’ may be the most gorgeous and moving track balloonismall sparkling bass and piano chords. “Damn, I’m not an innovator, I’m just a shitty illustrator,” he finally sighs, but few people can draw such vivid pictures.
10. Excelsior
Not a complete song, just an interlude so imaginative that it features orphaned children, “Excelsior” captures a sense of innocence, even if it acknowledges that it has long been lost. I value magic simply. And some of it is preserved.
11. Transformation feat.Mousou Thomas
After developing the alias Delusional Thomas for his 2013 horrorcore project of the same name, Miller used it heavily, but avoided publicly crediting his appearances after signing with a major label. The word “transformation” may feel like a bit of an outlier in our world. balloonismbut it’s a welcome showcase of his vulgar humor.
12. Manakins
Miller sings about the emptiness of being a dreamer over one of the album’s most dreamy arrangements, creating a convincing and eerily funny contrast. Sweet instrumentation brings Miller’s philosophy to life, and aside from a few awkward lines, it’s very engaging.
13. Rick’s Piano
According to Berg, the song’s stream of consciousness is one of the album’s most emotional and truly hopeful moments, as a result of the “gut-wrenchingly ridiculous exchange” at Rubin’s house. That’s what it means. It’s not the declaration itself that seems to dissolve any fatalism on the album, but the way he stretches out the words, “The best is yet to come.” Perhaps that’s the reason for the song’s final question – “What does death feel like?/Why does death take away lives?” – It’s not that harsh of a story. But it certainly cuts deep and has dizzying potential.
14. Tomorrow Will Never Know
After 12 minutes of unspooling, this is the perfect drone conclusion. balloonismevidence that Miller was just as convincing at his lowest points as when he was at his highest. And there are few moments in his discography as depressing as “Tomorrow Will Never.” The song doesn’t sink into the rapper’s unfiltered thoughts, but rather emerges from his subconscious. The music is ambient, loose, and aimless, which isn’t necessarily to its fault, until it gives way to the sound of a phone ringing and kids playing, and the groove picks up slightly again. is. “You know, living and dying are the same,” he raps, quoting God himself. balloonismoccupies a strange middle ground, but it’s still fun to take in and analyze.
Source: Our Culture – ourculturemag.com
