Five Easy Hot Dogs
by Mac DeMarco
Metascore
68

Generally favorable reviews - based on 11 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 5 out of 11
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 11
  3. Negative: 0 out of 11
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  1. Beats Per Minute
    Jan 20, 2023
    73
    It does not at all feel lazy, rather a conscious effort to do something new. Five Easy Hot Dogs is an incredibly addictive record that entices with its lightheartedness and almost weightlessness, which is aided by the absence of vocals and lyrics.
  2. Exclaim
    Jan 19, 2023
    70
    It's certainly not going to produce the next "Viceroy" or "Chamber of Reflection," but it's an exceedingly pleasant listen — the kind of thing that's the perfect soundtrack for working and studying, or to make chores a little more tolerable.
  3. Glide Magazine
    Jan 19, 2023
    80
    Through its simplicity, Five Easy Hot Dogs achieved a level of beauty that redefines Demarco as a musician. Instead of relying on cheeky guitar tones and whispering vocal melodies, Demarco created a project that expresses his diversity without it feeling forced.
  5. Mojo
    Feb 22, 2023
    80
    This is no holding exercise. Instead, think beautifully conceived curio. [Apr 2023, p.85]
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  6. The Line of Best Fit
    Jan 19, 2023
    70
    While perhaps not the return to bigger records that fans of Salad Days might have hoped for, Five Easy Hot Dogs stays true to the linear, if unexpected, evolution of Mac DeMarco’s music. Each iteration is somehow even more sparse and experimental; it seems this record is the result of DeMarco slowly whittling down his sound until it is just its own essential core.

Awards & Rankings

58
#58 Most Discussed Album of 2023

User Reviews

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User Score
5.9

Mixed or average reviews- based on 17 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 17
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 17
  3. Negative: 4 out of 17
  1. ArthurFriedenre
    Jan 23, 2023
    0
    Mac Demarco is a gifted song writer.
    Now here are 14 instrumentals made on a long and spontaneous solo road trip.
    Though each track is named    Mac Demarco is a gifted song writer.
    Now here are 14 instrumentals made on a long and spontaneous solo road trip.
    Though each track is named for where it was recorded, there’s not any connection to the location, it's all nice but just boring.
    The instrumentals are utterly uninspired, so skip this album if you want to listen to something interesting.
    I will continue to love Mac DeMarco in spite of this crappy album which he should have kept for himself.    … Full Review »
  2. Haldane
    Jan 20, 2023
    4
    I was quite the fan of Mac's last work (Here Come the Cowboy) with its underproduced-overproduced balance, however even as background musicI was quite the fan of Mac's last work (Here Come the Cowboy) with its underproduced-overproduced balance, however even as background music this album is pretty boring and some songs left me waiting for the album to be finished so I could move on. I understand the rudimentary nature of the recordings but most of the songs sound like watered-down versions of the last album, which itself felt watered-down. For example, the synth in "Gualala" sounds similar to the one on "Nobody", but in the case of Nobody it fit and yet in Gualala its like a fly you want to shoo away. I like this style of music, but I don't like this version.… Full Review »
  3. Djlikesmusic
    Mar 22, 2023
    6
    While I can see what Mac was trying to achieve here continuing in the direction that Here Comes the Cowboy was doing, it was somewhatWhile I can see what Mac was trying to achieve here continuing in the direction that Here Comes the Cowboy was doing, it was somewhat underwhelming as nothing really stood out. Despite that, Five Easy Hot Dogs does create a more luscious and easygoing atmosphere that fills in for the absence of vocals. It’s still a nice listen though but leaves you wishing there was more to it.… Full Review »
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