Review: Mac McCaughan – Non-Believers

Mac McCaughan
Non-Believers

Merge
Street: 05.05
Mac McCaughan = American Wrestlers + Twerps

If you’re expecting anything like Superchunk or Portastatic, please look elsewhere. This album’s entire point (and arguably, this solo endeavor), is to provide an outlet for lyrical expression, without being overshadowed by Superchunk’s hyper indie rock. In this case, the separation works in McCaughan’s favor. Here, we are able to see a heavier, more serious, effect laden side, which proves to be just as interesting as any of his previous works. What makes this release even better is that the lyrical content and (in my personal opinion) instrumentation contain an unexpected level of maturity—noticeably grown up, if you will. McCaughan is able to appeal to the teens of today and to the nostalgia of Gen-Xers and Millennials alike. –Allison Shephard