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Mayer Hawthorne // Man About Town
Man About Town whisks by like a warm summer breeze, stirring up memories of maritime man-perms and mimosas with its mellow grooves
April 27, 2016 at 2:15 PM
Mayer Hawthorne
Man About Town
BMG/Vagrant
3/5 stars
Somewhere in the dim recesses of a Boz Scaggs message board … No1MichaelMcDonaldFan [adjusting the elastic waistband of his teal Blair Outlet capri shorts]: Sigh…they just don't make songs like this anymore. Mayer Hawthorne [37 y/o m, singer/songwriter/musician, Ann Arbor, Mich.]: Ahem. Hawthorne would be well within his right to be indignant; his discography often plays like a Smooth Sounds of the 70s Time Life music collection. Man About Town whisks by like a warm summer breeze, stirring up memories of maritime man-perms and mimosas with its mellow grooves. If you like Pina Coladas, you'll love "Cosmic Love." If you've grown out of touch with today's Top 40, you might cozy up to the Hall and Oates-tinged "Book of Broken Hearts" or "Love Like That." Likewise, the Steely Dan-esque "Fancy Clothes" and "The Valley" will make you feel like a Kid (Charlemagne) again. Pleasant but lacking edge ("Lingerie and Candlewax" and "Out of Pocket" being slight exceptions), Hawthorne's fourth LP makes for enjoyable if unessential listening. – Matt Swanseger