Here Comes the Cowboy

On 2017’s This Old Dog, Mac DeMarco got serious—the LA-based Canadian singer-songwriter tackled personal themes like aging and family relationships head-on with slow, laidback melodies that went down easy. His fourth LP, Here Comes the Cowboy, is mellower. Here DeMarco unburdens his mind by embodying the cowboy ideal, an archetype he associates with a simple and unassuming life. He expresses a desire to escape on “Finally Alone” and “Hey Cowgirl,” both of which are punctuated with plucky guitar chords and soft snare hits. Of course, it wouldn’t be a Mac DeMarco album if it didn’t feature a love song or two, and he dutifully delivers on the plainspoken, romantic “K” and “Heart to Heart.” He tones down his usual jocularity throughout, but it’s not absent—take “Little Dogs March,” on which he kicks the cowboy image up a notch by adding foot taps that sound like a horse’s hooves. The dirty funk groove of “Choo Choo” is playful, a far cry from the album’s otherwise quiet and reflective mood—reminding listeners of his sense of humor with a cunning wink.