Wisconsin grown, Portland based artist Mack John is just getting started as she returns to Eau Claire for a series of shows this summer displaying her debut album, Not Ready. On the record, Mack presents a vulnerable group of tracks laced with excellent songwriting and creative production. Whether it’s your first time or your 80th time listening, the song Sandbags brings a warm familiarity to it that I’ve grown quite fond of. The guitar riff reels you in, the drums knock you around a little bit, and the harmonies invite you to stay a while. Mack molds her own genre of heady pop by interlacing tasteful reverb with ethereal vocal and synth elements that keep you coming back for more. In the middle of Sandbags you get at least a minute of this unique production that sends you into the sky only to bring you back down to earth with that familiar guitar. At the right volume, properly drowning out everything else, Mack’s music is an umbrella to shade you from the rain; you can feel the turbulence of the wind around you but your sandbags for shoes keep you grounded (if you will).
I have nothing but good things to say about her live set at the sounds of summer series in Eau Claire. Although she herself exclaimed a desire to have her full band with her, the energy and talent she brought with just herself and a guitarist kept me engaged for the entire set. With crisp vocals and an overall subdued presentation, Mack John and her guitarist oozed talent while hardly breaking a sweat. There’s something to be said for excellent musicianship without needing to overdo it, and I think that the choices Mack makes in her live and recorded settings show just that. By no means is her music simplistic, at one point I turned to my friend and asked how she was literally harmonizing with herself, but it’s simply exciting to be around artists as they unveil a remarkable baseline talent and then to be a part of their musical growth beyond that. Check out Sandbags on the Garrett’s Finds playlist, and while you’re at it, give her whole album a listen.
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