REVIEW: Marco Mahler’s “Laptop Campfire Speed”

Marco Mahler is an independent artist who creates eclectic pop music with a diverse range of influences that may be unimportant in the big picture, but are contributing factors in how he comes off in his music. Laptop Campfire Speed (self-released) couldn’t be a more appropriate title for an album that combines computer technology with the innocence of those campfires, but at a modern pace. Stripped down, Mahler could easily be a folkie, or someone who makes acoustic music along the lines of Jack Johnson and Donavon Frankenreiter. What he adds are cutesy keyboard melodies, or a basement feel so that the sounds come off as clever basic demos that are much more than what you hear. What I also like about some of these tracks is that while they would be perfect if they were more musically developed, there are no heavy drums or heavy drum samples, just him, guitar, and a bit of accompaniment. Think of someone like Lou Reed if he was able to hang out with Jandek, Syd Barrett, David Byrne, and Jeff Tweedy, but they ended up being the same person looking at four different mirrors.

Lyrics range from the direct to the abstract, from stories you want to share with people to little tales that quickly vanish as soon as the songs are completed. In “I’ll Just Find A Million Other Things To Do”, with a melody that could easily rival anything John Mayer does, he sings about how he wants to do a lot of things, but says something that sounds like “my hallelujah brewing machine’s on fire”, and he comes off like a collegiate Neil Young who hung out with Scott Alexander a lot. Sometimes you’re not sure what he’s saying or what a certain verse or line means, but you ride with it because you’re moved by the freeform attitude of his words, kind of a “it’s coming to my head, and I’ll just say it” feeling, and it’s a good feeling.

The songs on Laptop Campfire Speed are not only good, but are good enough to be covered and cherished by other artists who will hopefully spread the word of his craftsmanship.

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