Another One
Critic Score
Based on 32 reviews
Sign In to rate and review
CRITIC REVIEWS
83
Demarco may not be a constant innovator, but hardly anyone is, and his ability to repeat with originality is commendable.
83
Admittedly, it’s a volatile cocktail. But here’s the rub: It works for him. It worked for him on 2, and it worked for him again on Salad Days. It should come as no surprise, then, that it works on Another One, maybe better than it’s ever worked before.
80
‘Another One’ neither sounds particularly different to his last album, 2014’s ‘Salad Days’, nor does it give much indication of where he’ll go next; rather it does for ‘Salad Days’ what ‘Salad Days’ did for his previous album, ‘2’ – offers added richness and refinement to his very songbook style of writing.
80
While – as with predecessor Salad Days – it can take time to delve beyond vocal affectations reminiscent of John Lennon on a fairground ride (or Julian Lennon, if you’re being cruel), once you do, this is a mini-album loaded with emotional integrity.
80
Musically, it's no great departure from the world he created on Salad Days, but there's a feeling of listening in on an artist who is just coming into the peak of his powers, and the creative spirit behind these subtly charming songs is immediately apparent.
80
This slight deviation in sentiment for DeMarco is a noticeable and welcome one. It reinforces the fact that he isn't simply a joker, but a real creative talent with an undeniably infectious sense of humour.
80
Repeated listening makes it hard not to see the album as some sort of quasi-confessional mini-masterpiece, and if not that, at least another example of his increasing strength as a songwriter.
80
This follow-up arrives quickly, and is small in its ambition, but still feels well-formed.
80
Another One is an album of love songs. They aren’t all happy, but the record escapes the pigeonhole classification of “the breakup album.”
80
The surface of Another One is pure pleasure; underneath, it’s not quite so easy.
75
Another One is even more harrowing than Salad Days. The hazy production and wobbly guitar lines are still there, but DeMarco’s lyrics draw deeper into regret and how he could have done things better with his lover.
75
Ultimately, Another One doesn’t feel like a fully realised vision, but DeMarco clearly didn’t set out to produce a feature-length sequel to Salad Days. The man seems to possess a profound creative impulse, and it seems he’s keen to share the results with his fans.
75
DeMarco’s latest is lean but expectedly leisurely, once again swimming calmly in the singer’s slanted but enchanting sea of lilting guitars and docile yacht-rock overtones.
73
It's like a novella, or a made-for-TV movie—something to chew on while we wait for the next major project.
70
Call it a low-stakes play, but Another One is a snapshot of an artist who's found his lane and continues to mine it for affecting, melodically spry material.
70
It’s more of his seemingly tossed-off guitar balladry, stretched-out and warbled like he recorded direct-to-rubber band instead of direct-to-tape, but this time there are fewer winks and stunts, just more of the DeMarco who wants to love you tender.
70
Another One is boldly vulnerable with little bitterness, an ultimate guide for how to incorporate dusting yourself off into your productivity instead of allowing it to derail you.
70
What Another One does provide - in abundance - is proof that DeMarco has the songwriting chops to back up his reputation as one of indie rock’s last true characters.
70
At their best, these songs have a charm that's aching and amiable.
70
What it lacks in ambition, it more than makes up for in songwriting ... What it lacks by way of revelation, it more than makes up for in satisfaction.
70
DeMarco’s continual output is as exciting as it is impressive. These eight tracks were written in less than three weeks between shows on a recent tour, and the continuity of surfer twang and synthesiser melodies are indicative of this.
60
On the one hand, it’s a relief to find DeMarco peering out the other side of fame and settling into his sought-after skin. On the other, he’s not fully testing himself, simply because he deserves a break in some shape or form.
60
As great as these new songs are, they’re also incredibly repetitive: the same riff, the same mood, the same shimmery guitar and the same words.
60
The changes in sound are minor compared to the similarities in the songwriting; the guitar chords and melodies, the songs themselves feel reassembled from his own pre-existing (admittedly quite recognizable) repertoire of licks and runs.
40
Unfortunately for DeMarco, all the ‘watery’ guitar-work in the world doesn’t disguise that these are wisps of songs that wear thin with their slack tales of his romantic endeavours
Mac fans will not find too much new in terms of sound, but there is a lot of love on this album. There is a focused theme and is quite romantic. This is an extension of the ideas he began to develop on 2, it is not bad, but it starts to get predictable in a monotonous way. 'Another One' the song though is a standout.
The majority of the songs say the same thing, and the style has not developed any further, so Another One is a fitting title. More of the Same would've worked equally as well.
A mini album that sounds like a good breakfast: it will help you get through the day without ever noticing its importance.
The first time we saw a new direction Mac would take his jangle rock sound and also the first time it felt like Mac wasn't improving on what was shown on his previous record. Another One sees Mac incorporating far more synths into his sound, this album feels kind of like its cover as the sound feels very watery if that makes any kind of sense (listen to how the title-track feels like the synths are pretty much being drowned under water). This record is still really enjoyable but it is kind of a ... read more
The first Mac project I ever listened to is also one of his most unlike him. Another One is definitely a solid project, but it just feels like the fun jangly pop sounds that make Mac DeMarco, Mac DeMarco are seemingly absent. Another One and Without Me are the closest you get to the sounds of 2 and Salad Days. It's a solid EP but it's far away from what Mac is capable of creating.
Become a Donor
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Donor badge, no ads + more benefits.
Advertisement
Year End Lists
| #27 | / | Blare |
| #27 | / | NME |
| #27 | / | The Guardian |
| #36 | / | Rough Trade |
| #39 | / | Piccadilly Records |
| #44 | / | Under the Radar |
| #50 | / | Q Magazine |
| #74 | / | Crack Magazine |
Track List
- The Way You'd Love Her
- Another One
- No Other Heart
- Just Put Me Down
- A Heart Like Hers
- I've Been Waiting For Her
- Without Me
- My House by the Water
Advertisement
Added on: April 22, 2015