BeatRoute Magazine BC Edition May 2019

SPENCER MARSH
Reviews
MUSiC
Mac
rides
the indie
range
Album Review
MAC DeMARCO
Here Comes the Cowboy
MAC’S RECORD LABEL/
ROYAL MOUNTAIN RECORDS
2018 saw the rise of the “yeehaw
agenda,” a movement revolving
around the reclamation of cowboy
culture. It started slowly and gained
traction through memes, songs like
Beyoncé’s “Daddy Lessons,” and
even TikTok, which helped skyrocket
“Old Town Road” by Lil Nas X to
stratospheric heights.
This year, we have prince of indie
rock Mac DeMarco jumping on the
yeehaw train with his fourth album,
Here Comes the Cowboy. It’s the
first album to be released on his
new label, Mac’s
Record Label.
In “Hey Cowgirl,”
DeMarco invites a
cowgirl to “try the
big city lights for a
while,” and “All of
Our Yesterdays” is a
bittersweet number
about the passage
of time, featuring
country-inspired lead
licks and an absolutely beautiful
sun-drenched chorus.
DeMarco’s previous album, This
Old Dog, his most personal release
to date, contained lyrics relating
to his relationship (or lack thereof)
with his alcoholic father. On Here
Comes the Cowboy, DeMarco still
has some serious feelings to unburden
through his usual brand of
laid back indie rock. One example
is the slow and solemn lead single
“Nobody,” where he expresses his
disillusionment with being in the
public eye and how he can’t go
back to being a nobody.
We also get to see his classic
goofball persona shine through for
the first time since his debut album,
2. On “Choo Choo,” he sings about
riding a train over funky instrumentals,
and at the end of “Baby Bye
Bye,” there’s a two-minute-long jam
outro with DeMarco falsetto singing
“yeehaw,” with plenty of screaming,
and maniacal cackling.
Here Comes the Cowboy isn’t exactly
country, but it shows DeMarco
is willing to take risks. Musically,
it’s minimalistic, but there’s beauty
in its simplicity. He wears his heart
on his sleeve through his lyrics and
proves again that he’s a compelling
songwriter and a driving force in
indie rock.
Robann Kerr