The ultimate idol of indie audience, Mac DeMarco, releases his new full-length album This Old Dog, almost three years after the halcyon debut Salad Days. The previous record left a remarkable impression on listeners, and it gave them a peek of this twenty years old musician’s talent. It was clear that he has a knack both for lyrics and creating music on his acoustic guitar. His trademark sonic aesthetic is ubiquitous on the new album - dreamy, easy melodies with guitars in lo-fi fashion.
Contrary to Salad Days, the new material offers rhythm-machines and synths and make this studio endeavor more dynamic, diverse and attractive. When it comes to lyrics, DeMarco discloses the most intimate of himself with an admirable candor. He sings transparently about his fears, trepidation surrounding the relationship with his father, mixed feelings, maturity and personal growth.
Relationship with his father, or should I say the absence of it, is the theme that permeates several songs. In the opening track, My Old Man, he expresses his uneasiness and fear of becoming like a man who left his mother and him while he was still a child. Number Moonlight on the River is a touching confession about the personal confusion, because even though he is completely used to not having father in his life, he is not sure how to behave towards the old dipsomaniac. According to the lyrics of this song, his father decided to look for his son after he was diagnosed with alcohol addiction disorder. The closing track Watching Him Fade Away is a somber closure of the collection in which the author draws a conclusion: And even though we barely know each other, It still hurts watching him fade away, watching him fade away.
Alongside this topic, vast majority of songs are centered around love problems. It is a convenient terrain for slow, melancholic orchestrations in which this indie prince finds his home. Track For The First Time is one of the most beautiful love ballade DeMarco has ever written. It is about the missed opportunity and lamentation over it. The similar theme is digested on One More Love Song.
A bit brighter tones color Baby You’re Out and A Wolf Who Wears Sheep’s Clothing. Canadian singer said how Still Beating is his personal favorite on the whole record, and it is another downtempo song about breakup.
Overall, I am confident that This Old Dog will do well on this year’s list of best albums.
