JoelisticsAussie hip hop isn't dead! Artists such as TZU frontman Joelistics (here delivering his second solo album) prove the often lumpen genre can still be something to be proud of. Blue Volume is ripe with earnest commentary that incites plenty of “I'll drink to that!” empathy from anyone tired of Tony Abbott's tyranny (fans of our PM should probably avoid Not In My Name). At least the despair is chronicled with ample moving of the feet. “Oh no, here come the idiots”, he warns in opener Say I'm Good, which jumpstarts the masses like a Quad City DJ's revival. It's followed by Connect, which rollicks hard enough for Top Gear fans to drive fast to.
Then there's How Many People, which challenges the listener's attitudes towards addiction and those living with it. Joel Ma frequently illustrates that you don't have to be guilty of an unpopular use of your vote to be lacking in compassion for your fellow man, concluding, “I aint trying to judge nobody's ache”. Occasionally sounding like an episode of Bogan Hunters, in which everyone is informed and perfectly articulate, Wil Wagner's startlingly haggard guest vocals on Nostromo are particularly affecting and provides one of several highlights.
While bling'n'booty-obsessed R&B continues to rain genocide upon the nation's brain cells, Blue Volume – much like TZU's criminally-ignored 2012 comeback – confirms that homegrown hip hop is best when people keep their heads screwed on.
