Mac Miller Gets a Respectful, Posthumous Jon Brion Treatment

Unlike some of you, I don't have teenage daughters and I'm not a Floridian hip-hop fan, So, as with most musical things, I was late to the Mac Miller bandwagon. I hopped on after he passed away a little over a year ago. I dig some of the stuff I've heard, although I think it appeals more to a younger generation. My kid likes it and I lie to my wife that the lyrics are not that bad.

Turns out Mac was deep in the process of making a new album with Jon Brion when he passed away. Brion is a guy I've known for many years. As a Paul Thomas Anderson fan, I remember Brion as the guy who did the score for Punch Drunk Love. Turns out Brion also contributed to PTA films Boogie Nights and Magnolia. In addition, he has worked on I Heart Huckabees, Step Brothers, ParaNorman, Lady Bird and many, many others (unclear if he wrote Boats 'N' Hoes though). Jon is out there, as many musicians are, as evidenced by his discussion of his work in Punch Drunk Love, seen below.



Given my respect for PTA, I have respect for the folks he respects. So I take notice when Brion does his thing. And as a music producer, Brion certainly had some work to do to get this last album (Circles) out after Miller passed. From what I've read, he had disparate sets of lyrics and beats and did some interpretation to string it all together into twelve tracks. Perhaps it is not what Miller wanted, but it may be what his fans needed.

I downloaded the album and have listened to much of it. More ambient, mellow and bluesy than I would've expected. Mac does as much/more singing than rapping. There is a sadness pervasive, but maybe that's just the baggage I'm bringing in, knowing I'm listening to a dead guy's last few recording sessions.

The album is an evolution of his sound and I think many of you will dig it. But sadly, it's also a coda for a life that ended too soon.