There are fans, and there are fans. Shit, there are Stans, and there are Stans, even. I didn’t write the book on Mac Miller like the homie Donna-Claire Chesman. I had listened to tracks here and there until Swimming (which I now consider one of my favorite albums ever made) and eventually dove all the way into the discography headfirst like Pete Rose after he passed. I guess I have a certain type of penchant for dead rock stars. 🤷♂️
I certainly didn’t stumble across dude’s catalog yesterday, so I consider myself on the spectrum somewhere. The Mactrum, if you will?
I spent a good amount of time this weekend listening and re-listening to his latest release, the long-awaited, speculated about, mystique-ridden project, the now 3rd posthumous project Baloonersim. Some thoughts:
Now I gotta preface this whole thing by saying to fully appreciate this album, you gotta have somewhat of a jazz ear and palette. Mac was one of them soulful white boys. This I know because I’m not only the president, I’m also a client.
We begin the journey with some light tambourine on the aptly titled Tambourine Dream. I can’t help but think that’s a nod to ‘60s outfit Tangerine Dream, and I would’ve liked to see like a spoken word piece thrown on top of it. I’ll shoot a text to Mac to see what’s up on both fronts and report back on that front.
Editor’s note: no answer
While SZA kills as per usual, DJ’s Chord Organ still has space for a Mac verse. As I listen, I’m convinced there’s a Portishead sample in there providing some familiarity, but it turns out Mac used the actual Daniel Johnston organ from his recordings that provided this feeling. Power move.
Me in Austin, TX with the famous Daniel Johnston mural
It’s these types of artistic endeavors that connect me to Mac on a different level. Seeing the cover art for Baloonerism, again I’m struck with this wild feeling of familiarity. Why would an abstract, surreal depiction of Mac Miller feel familiar? How does this keep happening? I’m only a few tracks in yet. Have a peek:
Alim Smith’s self-portrait, circa 2018
Turns out Mac had commissioned his own likeness for a project around the time of the artist’s self-portrait, and now we’re blessed with the outcome of collaboration.
As we make our way through the album, the ebbs and flows of Mac circa-2014 start to take shape on Do You Have A Destination?
“I gave my life to this shit, already killed myself.” Damn, these lyrics hit crazy in present day. The man knew he wasn’t here for a long time but rather a GO:OD AM time. Didn’t think it was possible, but I think two people in this world might love cereal more than me: Jerry Seinfeld and now Mac Miller. “She knows I love my cereal!”
5 Dollar Pony Rides would’ve ripped apart a Tiny Desk. I’ll just say that.
The next few tracks peel back some layers on Mac’s inner and exterior demons that led to his untimely death with tracks reminiscent of No rEgrets by Aesop Rock and a tinge of Outkast’s Stanklove (Stoned) and heavy distortion to request drug dealers take his AmEx on Shangri-La. Transformations lends itself to alter-ego Delusional Thomas with references to Henry Winkler, Ralph Waldo Emerson, and Curt Schilling among others. Nice to hear from him again…
Tomorrow Will Never Know has already made it onto my TomorrowLand Before Time playlist and has the makings of a timeless track, arguments I’ve tried to make for the same reason on Common’s Jimi Was A Rock Star off of Electric Circus and The Roots’ Something In The Way Of Things off of Phrenology. Maybe on a different plane, but there’s levels to this. The outro on Baloonerism seems to fit the project as a whole a little more, takes us offstage properly. I don’t know, that’s just like, my opinion man…
Comparisons are inevitable in a world where music is commodity, but as a full work of art, Baloonersim stands alone in not only Mac’s catalog but musically in general. Tapping into several genres and influences, Mac has proved that his input begot his output…whether under the influence or not.
Someone buy me this. Kthxbai
Two Dads Bloggin' 
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