Date released: November 8, 2024| Artist: Mac Ayres | Album: Cloudy

Album Tracklist:

1. she just wanna see me rn 
2. circles
3. somebody new
4. games
5. LOVE
6. i bet u calling my name 
7. so much closer
8. holdin
9. she won’t stay long
10. we move to LA for a month 
11. since u been gone I been lonely 
12. alone with you
13. love somebody 
14. wrong
15. blue skies 

Memorable lyric: “Why do I feel like I’m hesitating? Something is out there, I’m just afraid to say it.” (holdin’, 2025)

Album Review: Mac Ayres “Cloudy” album embodies a tug of war of the heart. The album feels like an instrumental of a fluid mindset. One moment I feel that the lyrics reflect a surrender to love (Ex: alone with you, so much closer, LOVE, etc..) but it wrestles against an internal restlessness that persist on moving somewhere else or unto someone else (Ex: wrong, blue skies, somebody new, etc..). Initally, I thought the beginning of the album was introducing us to a previous partnership that had been established but due to a desire to break patterns after he confesses about “Somebody new” and sending off what felt like the last goodbye, it was the catalyst for a new sequence in the story.

The writing didn’t feel like there was a antagonist in the story, it felt like a process of grief and acceptance in moving past that chapter of life. It felt like he was taking responsibility of his remorse (maybe even self-sabotage) and also a recognition of his yearning for discovery. It didn’t feel like a violation to the other person’s emotion but it felt like a uncertain outreach. There is a part were it felt like a vistation to the previous partner but it was overcome by the weight of the ending that was already caused (“we moved from LA for a month” gave ‘Honey, I’m home’, but “since u been gone i been lonely” gave ‘I’m outta there already’).

The story captivates you with his honesty and transparency in the part he played in the partnership and the waves of love. The sound of the album had an essence of Lofi vibes and RnB.

Overall, Mac Ayres does not disappoint. PERIOD! Seeing him live in San Diego in 2023 while he was promoting and touring for the “Comfortable Enough” album still has a grip on me, okay! The venue was so intimate and enjoyable. He is a fantastic vocalist and a great songwriter. Mac Ayres is usually categorized as a R&B/Soul artist but he incorporates subtle funky bass cords on each of his albums and his smooth tone feels influence by artist in the neo-soul genre. I believe he could really expand to any genre though and I encourage you to listen to “Cloudy” on Spotify, Soundcloud, and Apple Music as well as his previous bodies of work.

Mac Ayres Socials Media & Stream “Cloudy”

IG: https://www.instagram.com/mmacayres/

Website: https://www.macayres.co

[I do not own or have the copyright for any of the photos]