Mac DeMarco

Another One

Demarco may not be a constant innovator, but hardly anyone is, and his ability to repeat with originality is commendable.

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.

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.

The surface of Another One is pure pleasure; underneath, it’s not quite so easy.

Another One is an album of love songs. They aren’t all happy, but the record escapes the pigeonhole classification of “the breakup album.” 

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.

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. 

‘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.

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.

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.

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.