Mac Miller – Balloonerism Review

Five years on from the first posthumous release and there is still more to give. Mac Miller and the continued tease of Balloonerism has the appeal of collaborations of names like SZA, who have only gotten bigger in the decade between the recording and release. Five years on from Circles and a second album of honest intent comes through. Holding out hope for earnest experiences, for the creative process to be unmasked as openly as possible, is extreme. Yet Balloonerism gets to grips with the softer touches of generalised hip-hop, of a fixation and necessary focus on production choices. This is more about the build than the message. But then the build is the most important part of all. Satisfaction in the face of unlikely accomplishment, the sense that Balloonerism would remain a bootleg, is what drives interest in this. Generally stylish and sweet recordings are hard to knock.  

Balloonerism is not light or floaty. It has moments which may feel heavier with the fresh context of an untimely death. Do You Have a Destination? is chilling. This is only possible with the tragedy preceding Balloonerism’s release. Would it work without the heartbreak? Yes. Miller has a sharp lyrical consistency in his works and it shows on the follow-up track 5 Dollar Pony Rides. Reminiscent thrills and this desire to fulfil an unasked request with some slick rhythm and keys is a way to separate the hopes of an idealist world and the memory which remains, the reality settling in. Friendly Hallucinations follows this up with a relatively similar beat and reliance on percussion but the focus is, as it often is on Balloonerism, on the lyrics. Stripped-back instrumentals which still feel nice and fulfilled shine a light on the ominous tones, the realisations which come from releasing archival songs. Mrs. Deborah Downer may have a light title but the heavy talk of drugs as an outlet is remarkably honest and refreshingly open. 

Again, the tones of heaven feeling like home and the frequent references to death are happenstance, a new layer added by the sad demise of its star. Balloonerism is as strong with or without it, these are sharp lyrics with nicely timed beats and some wonderfully relaxed instrumental sections. The whirr of Stoned is a delight. Funny Papers has a delightful sense to it, too. Those notions of self-medicating because the thrill of pushing a dream into reality is too much to handle. Any creative, from the top of the charts to the underground venues, can feel for that, and it makes Balloonerism more of an open book. Balloonerism is a fierce release, often toying with intonations and stylish interjections, like Excelsior. It is not the mourning of lost potential but the thrill of hearing it explored, which remains through this posthumous release.  

Chilling experiences feel their way through Balloonerism, particularly on Manakins. It is the most obvious of them all, the most intense allusions to life after death and the journey towards it. Pair it with the charming instrumental experiences, the softer touches just as strong a punch as those moments of splendour. That light at the end of the tunnel is nothing short of shocking and for Miller to write so compassionately, so openly, of that lack of fear and the embrace of every moment, is inspiring. Nothing short of surprising and the take-home message beyond this defiance is to shed the anxieties of the everyday. To remove the commotion, to kick against the self-imposed restrictions. Balloonerism is an inspiring piece of which was inevitably moulded by the death of its creator, but even then, the sharp lyrics and the love of life heard within are tremendously moving.