He once earned money by participating in medical experiments, so Mac DeMarco’s ascension to hipster deity has something of a fairy-tale quality to it. Not without reason; the gap-toothed singer and multi-instrumentalist who made it okay for millennials to wear dungarees has admittedly carved a niche for his self-described “jizz jazz”, peaking in popularity with 2017’s This Old Dog.
The Canadian’s trademark low-key style hasn’t changed with his success, though; his fourth studio album retains both his velvety croon and his propensity for short songs.
Yet while Nobody and Little Dogs March are pleasantly languid tunes, they aren’t given time to develop. Choo Choo is a fun blast of 1970s funk but ultimately goes nowhere.
Harry Nilsson remains the most obvious influence here, his melancholic chord progressions most audible on Finally Alone and All of Our Yesterdays. Baby Bye Bye combines that same distinctive Nilsson jangle with Beatles-style psychedelica and a Prince-style funk wig-out complete with maniacal laughter.
Generally, it seems like much of DeMarco’s other material; nice to schmooze along to, but nothing to sink your teeth into. It seems that title may have a double meaning.
