Album Review: Macajey, Let’s Go
Anyone who bases a portion of their musical direction down the road of the Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are already gets major props from us. That is exactly what Californian-born, Estonian-based solo musician/producer Jeremy Macachor, aka Macajey, brings in his album Let’s Go. The eight-track record starts with Rrrumpus which in his own words is “what happens after Max’s famous line ‘Let the wild rumpus start!!!’” and while Karen O did an inscrutable job masterminding the films soundtrack, the energetic, cheeky and somewhat chaotic tune of popping beats and bright descending keyboard would have made a tasty little addition, shrilling skrills and all.
Citing Gold Panda, Bonobo and Slow Magic puts some pressure to deliver some well-produced music and Macajey delivers just that. The album is not boringly monotonous but rather captures a variety of moods, taking the listener on a little throbbing electronic journey with each chapter more enticing than the last. From the erratic energy in Rrrumpus, Sunny But Freezing slows down with the sounds of casual guitar strumming all the while maintaining the intricate percussion making it hard to sit still.
While citing himself as a solo artist, vocal collaborations are explored with Elle Leatham and Macajey’s own sister, Ashley Macachor. One of the highlights on the album, Out for a Run, pulses out a hefty bass undercurrent which completely counteracts the falsetto vocal layering of Ashley and the repetitive guitar tabs. As the track reaches its climax when all the elements collide, it paints a picture of a chase, in particular the final scene in some romantic art-house film when the bloke starts chasing the gal after he has realised he’s been an absolute dildo. The lingering crooning from Miss Macahor dictates that love obviously wins. However, that is just the analysis of one hopeless romantic.
The sampling of the soft vocals is drastically shifted in The Fall as Ella Leatham showcases some dominant vocal chords complimented with some power punch electric guitar showcasing Macajey’s years of experience as a band guitarist. It all comes to a close with the tropical pulsing waves of Dosa, which ultimately sums up the album; well produced electronic music that leaves all with open ears imitating those kitsch bobble head dog toys idiots put in their cars. Don’t be those people.
The album is available to buy on Macajey’s bandcamp for as little as 7 American bucks.
Words by Kaya Strehler.
