By Robert Sweeney (Contributor) – Email
Canada’s most charming sleazeball is at it again with Another One, an eight-track mini-LP that proves to be his most melancholic release to date. DeMarco’s euphoric, laid-back attitude has taken a holiday, and in its absence, the listener is instead graced with a catchy album that reeks of self-loathing. A departure from his last album, Salad Days, which was received astronomically well by critics and fans alike, Another One revolves around the absence of love and heartbreak, providing the most adult material thus far in DeMarco’s career.
The album kicks off with “The Way You’d Love Her,” sporting a twangy, elastic, lead guitar, intimate basslines, and, as the song comes to its denouement, a brief grunt of approval, like we’ve come to expect from Mac. The song is so cliché DeMarco, it inspired my girlfriend to ask, “Is this that Salad one?” But from there, the eccentric Albertan ventures into new territory. The album is a bit of a stretch for guitar-shredding, Jerry Garcia-loving DeMarco, who widely utilizes electric pianos and synthesizers this time around — which is magnificently showcased in the following song, “Another One.” A weak-sounding keyboard and gentle vocals add a great layer of foreshadowing to the rest of the heartfelt indie-pop album.
Lyrically, it feels like DeMarco has hit puberty. And it seems as though the once-impish stage performer, known for such illustrious live acts as crowd-diving and rectal insertion, has apparently grown tired of the same old song and dance.
More often than not, Mac peppers abrupt spoken-word snippets throughout his work. A whisper of profanity before a track, a blissful outburst at the end. Another One is no exception. After the last song, “My House by the Water,” Mac slowly reads out his address and invites listeners to come by for a cup of coffee.
Some stand-out tracks include “No Other Heart,” “I’ve Been Waiting for Her,” and the title track. It took me a bit longer to get into this album, but after a few days of religious listening, it has effectively grown on me. Self-recorded in New York in just over a week’s time, between a busy touring schedule, one might be surprised to find that this is some of the best material that Mac has released to date. The album as a whole is a testament to this very dedicated Canadian’s spike in popularity.
The album is available via Spotify and Mac’s label Captured Tracks’ official site. If you’re craving more Mac, you can check out his instrumental album, Some Other Ones, made in a measly four days to curate a listening party / barbecue, with proceeds going to a New York food bank. YouTube commenter Charlie Wilson puts it best: “This album sounds like what my dog listens to when I’m not home … ”
DeMarco humps his way through Vancouver this Halloween, playing two consecutive shows at the Commodore from October 30 to 31. Expect the PBR to run cold, and the cuffed jeans to be in plenty.
