Australian hip hop often thrives from its sense of community, but when it comes to the collective known as One Day, it runs even deeper. Having met in high school, the septet is made of lifelong friends who have built up considerable success individually through acts like Horrorshow and Jackie Onassis.
Mainline marks the first time that all of them have worked together under the One Day moniker. Given the pedigree of the artists on hand, anticipation has naturally grown extremely high for the album. It’s justified on the big posse cuts like single ‘Love Me Less’ and big-talking intro number ‘Many Hands’, which showcase the strong points on offer – namely the bold verses and the simple yet effective hook melodies.
The appeal, however, wears out after a period, particularly in the downtempo, dub-oriented turn towards the end. 55 minutes is a big ask at the best of times, particularly when a portion of that is wasted on meandering instrumentals.
It’s not that there are too many cooks on Mainline – more that the album seems to lose its flavour quicker than you’d hope. Still, for fans of local hip hop, there is plenty to be enjoyed here.
3.5/5.
Mainlineis out Friday August 1 through Elefant Traks / Sony.
