Mac DeMarco pulls as many heartstrings as he bends guitar strings in his newest album “Another One,” released on Aug. 7.
While his previous efforts have touched on coming-to-age themes, this album explores the myriad of emotions that accompany love. From what it’s like to be in love to what it’s like to lose someone you love, Demarco’s lover-boy self is revealed in this latest release.
His genre of music has been dubbed “slacker rock” because most of his tunes often vibe like classic ‘70s soft rock that sways ever so slowly and gently. The tracks on this album follow that same vein. They have a nostalgic lo-fi quality that results in a dream pop sound—they are the tunes born from memory’s echo chamber.
DeMarco’s has ascended from playing the smallest stage at FYF Fest in 2013 to playing the main stage at this year’s Outside Lands. So what exactly is the key to his success?
The biggest factor was likely his breakthrough album “Salad Days,” which really allowed him to showcase his lyrical talents, and “Another One” is no exception to his poetic sensitivity. Though only 25 years old, DeMarco exudes the type of unpretentious lived wisdom of a much older soul.
What isn’t cliché anymore when singing about love? The penultimate track “Without Me” proves that even cliché sentiments can still be fodder for great music. On the track, Demarco sings, “Will she love me again tomorrow / I don’t know, I hope so / That’s fine, fine by me / As long as she is happy, happy.”
Though some may call these words simplistic or even maudlin, the effect he produces by repeating “Without Me” multiple times over a chiming guitar riff is devastating. The beauty of DeMarco is that he can make you feel so much pain with such simple phrases.
If you are already a fan of his music you will without a doubt enjoy this album as it’s the same old Mac from the previous albums you have grown to love.
Not much has really changed about DeMarco’s sound since he first started, in fact by now it seems like Demarco has developed a formula for crafting albums. He picks a theme, sticks with it, writes simple songs saturated in more emotion than the previous album and makes sure the record clocks in at less than 35 minutes.
Mac DeMarco
“Another One”
4 stars out of 4
Updated Aug. 29, 2015 at 4:39 p.m.
Good thing it’s called “Another One”. If you’re gonna review an album at least get the name of it and lyrics from it right.