Mac Millers first, and last posthumous album is one that sees the Pittsburgh artist come into his own, trumping his past releases with his most complete, and most proper send-off possible. Avoiding recent trends of selling out and capitalising on the death of those in the public figure, the estate of Mac Miller has crafted what feels like a body of work that manages to truly encapsulate and represent the artistic direction and vision Miller was heading. Through seemingly sublime and composition and vocal direction, ‘Circles’ not only feels like the most appropriate send-off in light of the recent tragedy, but it simultaneously manages to complete the natural progression of Miller’s transition into greatness.
The album kicks off with the track ‘Circles’, which invites listeners in with a delightfully warm embrace by glossy synth chords that soar across a mellow bass line that carries all the weight and raw grit concealed throughout the album. What resonates the most within the track is Macs druggy and slurred delivery which evokes the essence of his deprived and drained nature. This hand in hand with the raw and gut-wrenchingly real depiction of the struggles to break the mold of a routine that as described to be constricting Mac to feeling directionless, establishes the unapologetically real, and very harsh reality of his life prior to his passing. Despite the pain that is evidently the motive of the track, it ultimately finds beauty in simplicity, rather than through a harsh grit musically. The conclusion of the track rests within the soothing chimes that play out as perhaps the resting of his mind, as a man free of the confines of the struggles described lyrically.
‘Complicated’ sees a whole new dynamic added, as the simple, somber and soothing sound of the previous track is traded for a synth-heavy, funk jam. The synth-heavy wubbing and warping create an inescapable groove which is a credit to the complexity and duality of the track, as Mac maintains lyrically, all the confusion and frustration of the first track, upon a completely stylistically different instrumental. Miller sings about the very real issue of complications and the challenges through a lack of clarity and transparency clashing. Credit must be handed to the creation of the track as such seemingly different musical features blend to craft a track that rather than sounding messy, feels more like a means of representing a veil, a fake smile that shields the very real emotions behind it. The back end of the track introduces a more bass and synth-heavy instrumental that is significantly more spacious and eerie sounding. This evolution in the production brings a very ethereal feel to the track, giving it a sense of progression, one that continues right until the end, in which the harmonious combination of Mac’s vocals and the synth perfection consumes the ears.
Mac’s eye for sampling comes to the foreground on the track ‘Blue World’ as he flips barbershop styled vocals and completely changes its dynamic to serve his greater purpose of accurately portraying his life struggles. The warped and unconventional production matches the subject matter perfectly, as Miller describes the world as a crazy place, one the verge of changing, all while he seemingly refuses to accept the mishaps that confront him. Miller fits perfectly into the chopped sample as his seemingly effortless and all so smooth sounding vocals slot right into the zany sounding antics of the track.
What is perhaps the height of unfiltered lyrical rawness throughout the project is found on the track ‘Good News’, in which Miller speaks on the nature of his relations and how those around him wish him to suppress his own negative thoughts and feelings. Upon first listen, Mac may feel like a lackluster vocal presence, but his understated vocal performance is the perfect means of relaying his tired and tormented character, a man who is unable to continue a lie that those around him wish for him to portray. Several lines on the track reveal insights into the very real and very painful existence Miller was confined to, as such, his tragic passing is made more and more real with every listen of this song. The strings in the production have a light feel and are incredibly smooth yet seem to contain all the weight and sorrow that Miller has, as the two elements work together to truly create the sorrow-stricken sound. No other song quite manages to capture the confessional values of this track, as Mac unapologetically delves into his confronting relationship with his inner demons as well as his struggles with conforming to the expectations of those around him, all under the guise of some truly emotive and beautiful vocals.
The track ‘I Can See’ sees Mac detail his perception of reality and tackles the notion of it ultimately being more dreamlike than physical existence. It seems fitting that on a track so concerned with the exploration and questioning of presumed truths, Macs vocal performance is so airy and angelic in nature. His sweet tone sounds like something from the heavens, or at least above the clouds, at least someplace far away from the grounded reality he perceives to be imaginative. The instrumentation assists in creating this ethereal and angelic like sound as synth percussion and chime-like sounds evoke the weightless and optimistic sense that is needed to complete the sound at hand. Even more so critical to the crafting of the ethereal sound are the backing vocals that are added during the chorus, which again can only be described as angelic, weightless and something that provokes the feeling of peaceful grand ascension.
Mac Miller tries his hand at a cover of Arthur Lee’s ‘Everybody’s Gotta Live’ on the track of a very similar title, ‘Everybody’. Taking inspiration from the original, Miller introduces his own musical identity to make it fit the greater purpose of the album. The pessimistic view described in the lyrical content of the track brings out yet another painful fragment of Millers perspective of the world. The production, especially the keys, are draped in this heavy sensation as each note feels as depressingly weighty as the last. As a recurring touch of genius throughout the album, producer Jon Brion in collaboration with Miller has orchestrated the production to feel just as pain-stricken as Miller in a successful attempt truly evoke the emotive shockwaves through every aspect of the music.
‘Woods’ sees Mac describe his challenges with relationships and the lack of ability to both give and receive love. One of the more easily digestible listens, Miller widens the scope of lyrical content, whilst remaining true to both himself and the artistic direction of the album. With that being said, the vocal refrains on the chorus sound seasoned with the weight of pain as Miller sings as if the weight of the world crumbles above his shoulders in the most dysfunctional way possible, a true remark to his ability to deliver some of the most emotionally moving and gut-wrenchingly real music. The real hero of the track is the constantly evolving instrumental which at first is confined to a delightful bass that remains subtle, which sits beneath streaky and glossy synth chords that evoke a dreamy feel. An instrumental climax is featured at the end of the track as the synth chords and strings descend into a harmonious bliss that treat the ears to an ethereal sound that seemingly soars above all the pain that plagues the song’s creation.
‘Hand Me Downs’ marks the only example of a credited feature on the album as Baro Sura joins forces with Mac to describe methods of coping with troubled thoughts. This idea is a backbone that runs through the entirety of the album as a lyrical theme, so it seems only fitting that a track of this nature deserves such compelling emotional performances from multiple singers. The two have great vocal chemistry and both manage to convey the reliance of others in order to harness their own sanity. The track features some of the most buttery smooth vocals on the project as both performers manage to soar over the string-heavy production, each in their own angelic manner. This track serves as a means of portraying a full picture of the range of struggles, a crucial cut in order for the body of work to have the emotional impact it does.
‘That’s On Me’ again features the utilisation of instrumentation to fully convey the weight of one’s acceptance of their flaws. Almost as tragically emotional sounding as Macs vocals, are the piano keys that strike with the weight of a truly troubled man. In contrast to this, the addition of the guitar brings a sweet melody to the track one that manages to compliment the overall sound rather than distracting the listener from the raw appeal of the song.
Miller manages to visit a sound associated with childlike innocence on the track ‘Hands’. The driving force of this naive sound derives from the synth xylophone percussion that rings throughout the entirety of the track. There is a sense of sweet innocence tied to this sound and one that can perhaps be traced back to better times for Mac. With that being said, the lyrical content remains as mature and as challenging as ever, as Miller sings of again being trapped in the poison thoughts of his mind. This is yet another example of the Millers ability to paint a picture and truly capture the sorrows even when combating production that doesn’t conventionally fit the profile of the theme.
‘Surf’ is deceptively plain and stripped back from its intro, built upon sole guitar refrains and Millers soothing vocals soaring above the aforementioned. This pre-established soothing construction is shredded apart by a killer insertion of a synth sax, which provides a welcomed aggressive edge. The tracks explore the duality of the somber, soothing and subtle singing paired with production that focuses on hero ing strings, against the random addition of the honking sax which presents a sound like no other throughout the album. Whilst Miller remains composed and in his feelings for the entirety of the album, perhaps the sudden and random occurrence of such a cutting edge sound is representative of his anger, or desperate need to break free of his current state. Either way, the surprise inclusion adds a flavour that is unrivaled throughout the album and builds upon the wealth of diversity explored across the record.
The conclusive track on the album ‘Once A Day’ has the album end in very much the same vein as it begins. Adopting the less is more mentality, the low key final track features soothing and subtle warped synths that craft a sense of warmth. Much like the embrace that was key on the title track, this final track on the record is almost a warm farewell, a goodbye to the familiar. On the final track, Miller talks about the struggles of his everyday mundanity as well as his critique of the nature in which people conduct their day to day lives. One element of the song that reigns true more than any other cut is Macs ability to turn unbridled and agonising sadness into a sound of fond sweetness and defeat rather than soured and unpleasant anger. ‘Once A Day’ serves as the perfect finisher for the album as in conjunction with the opener, alongside the mental journey that we as listeners are invited on, creates a sense of fulfillment and allows the album to come full circle.
‘Circles’ goes above and beyond as a body of work that successfully captures the artistic growth and predictive artistic direction Miller was heading. Although a tragedy he is no longer with us, unlike so many posthumous albums from recent years, ‘Circles’ serves as a reminder of the artistic integrity and influence Miller made whilst amongst us. A combination of insightful lyrics that leave listeners with a heartbreaking insight into the raw, unfiltered emotions of Malcolm, matched with beautiful production that never fails to pay tribute to his expansive range and credit his ear for complex synth melodies, ‘Circles’ very much feels like an album birthed from Miller without his absence. From every aspect of the music, not only is this Miller’s best album to date, it rises leagues above other posthumous albums, whose artists are unfortunately associated with without say. It is clear that ‘Circles’ is by no means a marketing gimmick or advertisement scandal, but rather an album with origins of care and near completion that Miller himself would be proud to have completed. Although he is no longer with us, his legacy is forever birthed with the release of ‘Circles’ and so too is his undying legacy that he leaves with us.
Circles – Mac Miller – 8/10
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