Cheap and messy instruments, cigarettes, beer cans, vintage flannels and chorus pedal. Those are the elements representing Mac DeMarco and his crew. His jangle-pop and retro shtick have become viral and luckily, his music is still not suffering due to his emerging popularity. Mac is a top-notch songwriter who is only 27, but delivers experience of a doyen and that is why he is my SundaySpotlight for this week. Join me while I review his releases from worst to best.
Another One (2015)
This 23 mini album is sort of an intermezzo, an excursion into the psychedelic rock that is an antidote for the ears full of top 40 hogwash. Even though this is a pleasant album, it is my least favorite effort from DeMarco. With that being said, some of his best tunes are there, with Another One and No Other Heart leading the bunch . This is Americana for slackers of 2010s
This Old Dog (2017)
His latest studio album made on incessant five year long tour represents the last chapter of the first phase of Mac's career. He offers the best play here and exudes confidence of a music titan, which is probably why there is a slight decline when it comes to charm. Popularity hits you in the head, and head is where the charm is. Nonetheless, the album is epic.
Salad Days (2014)
After mega-successful 2, our SundaySpotlight hero was encountering a heavy task. How to satisfy everyone's expectations? Over the night, his lifestyle signature composed into songs from 2 became normative of indie scene. So many kids were obsessed with Mac's "one-of-us" identity. His third album brought more synths and more introspection. He noted that the motto of the album was: I am on tour for year and a half now, dude, I am fucking tired. Here was the first time Mac revealed a dismal part of his persona. My favorite from this transition into maturity was Chamber of Reflection.
Rock and Roll Nightclub (2012)
His one and only lo-fi effort. The cover of his debut showed DeMarco with a lipstick, having 15 pounds less than now. The album is loyal to its title, offering numerous dark numbers crawling from a la Lou Reed to a la Ariel Pink interpretations. Contrary to above mentioned mature works, Rock and Roll Nightclub is like a TV commercial in local tv station in United States. Bizarre and eccentric, the record cleared the path for his best work.
2 (2012)
This is when it all went uphill. Collection of singles for vacation was one of the best albums in 2012. Mac offered the sound he was searching for on his debut, which lead to the success among audiences who recognized his authenticity and candor. 2 is an instant classic - no fillers, all killers. Music bon voyage is followed by prosaic lyrics with themes ranging from love to irony. Just listen to My Kind Of Woman or Cooking Up Something Good. And try to lit a Viceroy cigarette, a brand DeMarco smokes. For the full experience.
