The presence of Mac DeMarco in the slacker rock scene has been steadily growing since his last release 2, thanks to spirited live performances and a boisterous personality. Now, becoming darker and more introspective over the past year, DeMarco’s newest album Salad Days is a grand success, complete with his trademark humor and interesting ventures into psychedelic rock and folk.
Surprisingly, some of the late-night fun and debauchery DeMarco is commonly associated with has been replaced by somber ruminations on love, fame and real life problems.
“Blue Boy,” an early number that perfectly utilizes DeMarco’s jangly guitar skills, focuses on a “boy” constantly worried about the little things in life. “Let My Baby Stay” is a melodic and sincere ballad revolving around the possible absence of a lover, full of honest emotion.
That isn’t to say that all the lighthearted catchiness has disappeared, as in “Let Her Go.” With a slight falsetto and summery instrumentation, the track is an amusing break from the more melancholic beginning songs, segueing into the later experimental numbers.
DeMarco’s psychedelic influences are evident on “Passing Out Pieces” and “Chamber of Reflection.” Both incorporate heavy, weary synths that almost overwhelm the tracks, but end up fitting alongside lyrics about exhaustion with fame and personal examination, respectively.
DeMarco has crafted a complete and astonishing record in Salad Days. He’s gotten older, as he says in the opening title track,and his wit and his abilities are only getting sharper with age.
