Mac DeMarco’s latest offering is exactly what you’d expect from the wistful Canadian goofball, and it’s bang on. Another One picks up where Salad Days left off, with the same jangly guitars, tight riffs, whacked-out synths and lazy vocal delivery. Similarly, DeMarco’s lyrics continue to lament issues of the heart — in fact the whole mini-LP revolves around love and heartache, but that’s OK.
It starts with The Way You’d Love Her, which finds DeMarco ruminating, “The river keeps on rolling/ Knowing all the time she’ll never understand just what it means to love her/ The way you’d love her.” This is just some of the dulcet poetry DeMarco unfurls across the release.
Throughout Another One, there’s a nod towards the dream-pop stylings of Beach House and the like. Take for instance the first single and title track, which is loosely arranged and very easy listening. Given his laid back demeanour, it’s no wonder so many people recently turned up to DeMarco’s New York house for coffee. (For those who missed the story a few weeks ago: final track My House by the Water contains details of DeMarco’s address, and in the lead up to album’s release he invited anyone who listened all the way to the end over for a cuppa.)
Without Me is a touch different for DeMarco; plodding synths create an unruly ethereality, making it sound like something you might waltz to at a sci-fi themed ‘80s wedding.
Another One isDeMarco’s fourth album in as many years. It might only contain eight songs, but as well as filling the gap between full-length releases, it’s further proof of his musical genius.
BY NAVARONE FARRELL
