Mac DeMarco's third album finds him slowing down and looking inward. The jittery energy of his earlier work gives way to drum machines, synth pads and acoustic guitars recorded in his Los Angeles bedroom. Tempos drop. The reverb stays but the goofy edge softens.
Songs like "My Old Man" and "Watching Him Fade Away" deal with his father's mortality, and the writing carries that weight without getting maudlin. DeMarco's voice sits further back in the mix than before, sometimes almost conversational. Drum programming replaces live kits on most tracks, giving the record a looser, less rockist feel. "Moonlight On The River" stretches past five minutes with barely any percussion at all, just layered guitars drifting.
It's less immediate than his previous records. The hooks take longer to land and some tracks feel like sketches rather than finished songs. For anyone drawn to his earlier scrappiness this might seem too polished, too slow. But if you wanted to hear him try something quieter and more reflective, it works.
