Here Comes The Cowboy, aka Mac DeMarco

Title: Here Comes The Cowboy

Artist: Mac DeMarco

Record Label: Mac’s Record Label

Date of Release: May 10, 2019

Genre: Indie Rock

Price: $9.98 digital download, $11.98 CD, $21.98 vinyl

Mac DeMarco is back with his whimsical, sultry sound on Here Comes The Cowboy, an ode to a lone ranger who packs his bags and travels out away from the bustle of the city to live a life of solitude in the country. The album is a continuation of the softer melodies he has pursued on previous releases This Old Dog and Another One. The quaint guitar riffs and ominous synth waves have become a staple of the bedroom-pop-meets-indie-rocker.

Fans that have followed him since 2 and Salad Days may be missing the up-tempo jams those records provided, but every artist should be allowed to evolve and experiment. Mac is a simple man, and Here Comes The Cowboy captures the lifestyle that he aims for. It is a wonderful addition to his catalogue, that not only includes full LPs but also demos of each, allowing the listener to experience other variations of their favorite tunes, and explore potential songs that didn’t end up making the cut.

The title track immediately pulls you in, whether it’s because of the casual stroll the guitar takes, or the single lyric that repeats over the course of three minutes. 10 seconds in and you can already begin to sing along. It’s like he’s forewarning you of the rancher that’s rolling into a dusty town, but also coaxing you to come along with him. When he has performed the song live, he encourages the crowd to sing along. You can’t help but bob as the slight rasp in his voice croons as he plucks the guitar strings.

He has progressed through an evolution in his music, and the melodic styles are a reflection of his navigation of artists growing up. Listening to The Smiths in high school made him feel different around the other kids. All the popular teens apparently didn’t want to listen to anything different from what was playing on the radio. But he didn’t get sucked into that trap. This was a pivotal point in his development as he began to cultivate his own unique style. Sure, he was bummed when girls thought the music he listened to, but he kept cruising along anyway.

He also dove deep into Steely Dan when a buddy of his gave him a copy of Aja. It was full immersion into dad-rock, intricate instrumentation mixed with clever lyrics helped pull him out of his mopey teens. And how could you deny the frantic swing of “Peg”? What pushed him to produce the album that would really get his name out there, was good ol’ Neil Young. “Harvest” was one of those songs he would play on repeat for months but never get sick of.

While Here Comes The Cowboy is arranged with some repetitive styles, like the mellow drone of “Nobody” and “On The Square,” it leaves room for a few hits to pop out and grab ya. “Choo Choo” has a great even tempo with crisp guitar licks, similar to some pocket groove classics. But he still retains his goofy side by adding in a wooden train whistle for added effect. On his recent tour he makes sure to bring it along, and it’s set up alongside his bandmate.

But it truly wouldn’t be a Mac DeMarco record without including a song or two dedicated to his love of ten years, Kiera, or “Kiki” as he likes to refer to. “K” like other songs in the past sends a message to her that even though things seem to be going pretty well for them, if there ever is a slip up, or a bit of distance, the lyrics invite her to play this song and slowly they will come back together. While he’s a little rough on the high notes, you are drawn in because you can feel the emotion in his voice. After all, being together for over a decade will bring its share of ups and downs.

Here Comes The Cowboy can really bring a city-slicker down to Earth, and the temptation of finally being alone can be comforting when you’re being bombarded with stimuli 24/7. I tell you h’what, it sure does make me want to move to the rolling hills of Colorado and start a cattle ranch. The tone of this album is serenity, even with the downtempo tracks on the LP. While he seeks refuge from a busy L.A. life, he is sure to keep the ball rolling through the ups and downs.

While Another One provided the ambiance of a salty seashore, this record is best listened to sitting on your front porch, watching the sun set. Mac may never return to the pitch-controlled ballads of his past work, and that’s just fine. You march on, lil’ doggy.