MAC DEMARCO - FIVE EASY HOT DOGS
With his latest release, Five Easy Hot Dogs, Mac DeMarco takes listeners on a journey of self-discovery, both musically and geographically. The album channels the indie singer-songwriter's trademark laid-back style, drawing inspiration from previous albums such as This Old Dog and Here Comes the Cowboy. Focusing primarily on a sound revolving around an acoustic guitar and losing the psych flair that his earlier work thrived on, Five Easy Hot Dogs feels like it’s DeMarco stripped back and at peace.
But Five Easy Hot Dogs also finds DeMarco branching out and experimenting in new ways. The album was born out of a cross-country road trip, during which DeMarco recorded songs in a variety of locations, including motels, hotels, and even other people's houses. If a recording session wasn't working out, he simply packed up and moved on to the next city. The sound of each city can be felt within each track, and you can start to piece together the journey that Mac was on as the album progresses. What’s been fun listening to this album is noticing something new in each track, whether it's a different element you’re picking up on, or focusing on the transitions and piecing together the sounds of each track/city to determine the influence between the region and the music.
This album isn’t going to make any new fans, but it’s definitely made to resonate with his existing fanbase. The style feels classically Demarco especially in tracks like ‘Victoria’ and ‘Vancouver’ that have a guitar that feels like it came straight out of Here Comes the Cowboy. Other personal highlights within the album include the funk fueled ‘Chicago’ track before resolving into ‘Rockaway’, which itself seems like a call back to the ending of ‘Another One’ where DeMarco gives out his address in Rockaway, New York for fans to visit. This full circle moment, whether intentional or not, felt like the perfect place to end the record.
Five Easy Hot Dogs is a fittingly eclectic and free-spirited addition to DeMarco's discography. The album captures the energy and spontaneity of DeMarco's travels, as well as the introspection and soul-searching that came with them. The production of the album proves to be an artistic endeavor that sets this apart. It’s Mac’s willingness to adapt and create music in different environments and with using the limited tools and instruments that make this his among one of his most ambitious products yet. It’s a must listen for the die-hard fans that been around since Rock and Roll Night Club to see the maturity and progression 10 years on, but maybe a skip for the more casual fan.
Alfredo Luna
★★★☆☆