My attention has long been centralized around Mac Ayres as a musician, his voice carrying a velocity that is incomparable to anyone that I’ve heard before. With his production being just as high-quality and fine tuned as his angelic voice, it took zero effort to take large interest into his music. His last two albums titled “Something to Feel” & “Drive Slow” are both still heavily rotated throughout my library, so therefore I was more than eager to see where his latest release would take me. Just 4 days ago, Mac Ayres released a brand new album titled Juicebox, a collection of tracks that really makes me feel like he’s tapped into a new realm musically. The dynamic between the infusion of his smooth R&B tones with live guitar & drum instrumentation, the chemistry is heard throughout each track brings feelings of nostalgia and real connectivity considering each component that they add creates a body of what I feel is true composition.
From track 1 to 16, there is absolutely no track that is worth a skip. Maintaining a steady balance between slow jam & high energy, the fashion in which his vocals are layered with the other instruments is very raw. Another aspect of Ayres’ artistry that I admire is his song-writing abilities. A common theme throughout his lyrics is this constant soul searching mission, always looking to discover new parts of himself throughout his experiences. “Smiley Boy (Live)” is one of those tracks that really brings forth this energy. My personal favorites from the album are “Shadows”, “Get Away”, “Jumping off the Moon”, & “Walking Home”, along a couple others; these in particular giving me this feeling of fuzziness inside. With features from some other favorites of mine such as Tiffany Gouché, 9th Wonder, & DJ Harrison, I don’t plan on pausing this listen anytime soon.
Press play on Mac Ayres’ latest album Juicebox below: