Mac Demarco has put his upbeat persona away for his latest LP, Here Comes the Cowboy and introduces his fans to an album that gently caresses the mind.
A slow burner of sorts, we see hints of DeMarco picking up the pace with tracks such as ‘Choo Choo’ and the second half of ‘Baby Bye Bye’ which both sound like they’ve been air lifted out of a James Brown album. ‘Choo Choo’ especially reflects the godfather of funk with DeMarco gifting us to a foot-spinning guitar lick and the lyrics “Choo Choo / Come take a ride with me” which our hips voluntarily agree with. Cheers for the ride Mac. ‘Baby Bye Bye’ also features sudden snaps of pace recently seen with Tame Impala but instead of drowning it with synths, Mac slows it down with an acoustic melody before turning on da funk.
His lyrics have also taken a cryptic approach with songs like ‘Hey Cowgirl’ echoing the album title and DeMarco’s western spin added to the repertoire.
“It was all the guys that wanted to kick my ass in high school,” he says. “In Canada, where I grew up, that’s what cowboys were — people put the hats on and go to bars and get wasted. Made me a little bit ashamed to be from where I was from when I was young, to be honest.”
To Demarco, who seemingly ignores the developments of 'modern' music, the country setting is an escapist's dream. “People are going crazy these days,” he says. “Everybody’s all nuts and stuff. It’s funny to think of this character that just goes to the saloon and rides his horse. The simple life, out on the farm. I find that comforting".
As for the remainder of the album, DeMarco dials the pace right back. The standouts include two singles released prior to the album’s release. Both ‘Nobody’ and ‘All of our yesterdays’ could comfortably fit in DeMarco’s other albums and is a testament to the solid brand (and trademark stoner vibes) he has blessed us with for many years. He also pays homage to his good friend, Mac Miller, in the song ‘heart to heart’ which was written as a tribute to the rapper.
Although the record’s slower pace won’t tickle everyone’s fancy, DeMarco has earned our time of day to allow it to grow on you. Set aside 45 minutes, turn the headphones on, grab a beer and let DeMarco’s soothing voice lower your blood pressure.
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Here Comes the Cowboy is released via Mac’s Record Label