Bliss N Eso's stunning new effort counts itself as the most captivating Aussie hip-hop release of the year.

There has never been much doubt in the Australian hip-hop community about Bliss N Eso’s music – they have been considered one of the top acts in the country since bursting on to the scene with Flowers In The Pavement in 2004.

But with Running On Air the Sydney act have managed to accomplish something entirely new altogether – to create a work that is totally commercially accessible, but still raw and rugged enough for a seasoned hip-hop head.

Make no mistake, Running On Air is nothing short of brilliant and if there were any doubts about the trio’s skills, they should be thoroughly dead in the water now.

The real strength of the album is diversity – production comes from a variety of Australia’s top producers, meaning no track sounds the same. The same goes for the guests – while they have included a bit of Aussie talent, it’s refreshing to see legendary international names like RZA from the Wu Tang Clan, Xzibit and Jehst strutting their stuff alongside the Aussie favourites.

But for most of us, this is irrelevant.

It’s Bliss N Eso that we want to hear and don’t worry, you’ll be getting plenty of that.Flying Through The City is classic BNE stuff, with rapidfire lyrics spat over a tight and bouncy bass line.

Addicted boasts some of the tightest production on the album, combining snythesised beats with some lovely live instrumentation, while Weightless Wings stakes its claim as the stand out track (with Reflections running a close second) with some of the most dynamic lyricism ever seen from the boys.

That’s the thing with Running On Air – it’s all great and very hard to find a fault.

For those who have grown up exlusively on a diet of Aussie hip-hop, Running On Air proves that the local scene is hitting an entirely new benchmark, while for the uninitiated, it will be a resounding slap in the face and the question, "where have you been all this time?"

It makes this reviewer proud to be an Australian, to see that our local brand of hip-hop has come this far. Outstanding.

>> Review by Jesse Kuch. For more information about Bliss N Eso's show in Cairns, see www.cairns.com.au/timeout

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