Yawnhaw! Mac misses the target with his 12 track shooter. The album opens with an experimental repetition of the line “here comes the cowboy…” to a dreamy and hypnotic Americana backing. This could be madness or maybe some perfect foreshadowing of what’s to come. Unfortunately, it’s both. After starting with a few solid songs, “Nobody” and “Finally Alone”, the album quickly becomes deflated and lost in its own world. The pace gets slower and slower, and the songs get more and more monotonous as we end up pretty much learning nothing new about the king of indie hill.
“Choo Choo” is perhaps an exception to this, a three-minute train ride of rhythm resembling something from his first album more than his most recent offerings, but even this, a respite from falling asleep, is nothing more than “choo choo take a ride with me.” Trainspotting is clearly not my thing. It’s time Mac turned over control to someone else, he’s a genius for sure, some falsetto on this album is the best vocals throughout his career, but the production could do with a fresh take. This sad, reflective Lennon drawl and acoustic guitar made sense on 2017’s This Old Dog but every now and again even Lennon screamed with Yoko. The best artists must change or else it’s not art at all, it’s just relaying the recipe.
Haiku Review
Mac DeMarco is,
Always on the cusp of somet’,
Always falling short.
🍒🍒
Mac DeMarco is,
Always on the cusp of somet’,
Always falling short.
🍒🍒
Words by Nick Ikin
