Another One begins in typical Mac Demarco fashion, with a noodling guitar over some high-pitched chords on a love song, “The Way You’d Love Her”. While the song is a little bit more upbeat than the majority of the album's predecessor, Salad Days, it is not a big departure from the album. While some artists try to reinvent the wheel with each of their releases, Mac sticks to familiar sounds and tones but tightens his production each step of the way. Halfway through the opening track, Mac stops singing and lets his guitar tell the story with a short, bouncy solo that entices the listener to dive in and see what Mac has in store.
While the album is short, Mac intentionally uses the space he has and gives us his most honest release to date. He gives us a peek into his unstable love life as we hear him croon about girls he wants to be with, but can’t. The subject matter may be depressing, but Mac treats it lightheartedly as he always does and keeps most of the songs upbeat. When he does slow things down, like on the title track, “Another One”, we are reminded of the sadness from which the album is inspired.
One of the greatest things about Mac is that he is as goofy as he is talented. From his nonsensical videos promoting his albums to his charming gap-toothed smile, he’s picked up a cult fan base that admires his slacker persona. At the end of the album, Mac gives his listeners his address and invites them over for a cup of coffee. In an interview with NME, Mac shared that over 30 fans have already stopped by. With this invitation, Mac hints at being as genuine as he comes off as on his album and shows his fans his appreciation for engaging his art.
Listen to 91.5 WGRE to hear Mac Demarco’s new album.
Essential Tracks: The Way You’d Love Her, Another One, I’ve Been Waiting For Her, No Other Heart