Noah: Salad Days, out April 1st,
is the sophomore return of the Canadian multi-instrumentalist Mac
Demarco. The artist is probably most famous for his eccentric
performances (see: sticking his thumb up his butt in a middle of a
concert), so when sorting this album into my iTunes summer playlist,
I had a hard time categorizing his often spontaneous and erratic
style; Do I call it jingle pop? Nah, brings too many Beach Boys
comparisons. Psychedelic indie rock? I guess, but it has a sunny
sound that doesn't tie it to the often confusing and dark soundscape
of many modern psych acts. Schizo synth rock? I don't even know if
that sub-genre exists... It's unmistakably Demarco-ish, if that means
anything at all.Writing up this review, I mistakenly called Demarco 'Californian' several times before I double-checked his wikipedia. The guy comes from British Columbia, but his music is so sun drenched that it's easy to make that error. Mac's first LP, '2', was on constant repeat during 2012 for me. A quarter through 2014, i'm still jamming out to it in the car, in the library, in bed, and while I play Playstation. It's happy mood music, and puts you in the best possible mind-set to start the day. So understandably, when Demarco first teased Salad Days, I absolutely lost my shit.
The intro and title track starts up on my iTunes queue, and I can't help but grin. Demarco plays all of his studio album and concerts with a shitty little childrens guitar he picked up at a garage sale (literally, at a garage sale), and the cheesiness of that little shitty guitar rings true. It sounds slightly out of tune, but in such an appealing way that you cant help but imagine the track being played at a Hawaiian beach party. Jumping into 'Blue Boy' right away, that same slightly off pitch guitar shines through. Mac's voice is sleepy, yet alert... But nobody is really listening to this album for lyrical content. They're listening to have a really fucking good time. “You’re better off dead, when your mind’s been set from nine until five” Demarco croons on 'Brother', and these lyrics definitely are true to the slacker attitude of the LP .
'Let My Baby Stay' is a typical Demarco love song, set to some soft strokes of his guitar. “I was made to love her, been working at it/Half of my life, i've been an addict” he sings, and I felt almost like Demarco had hit my brains g-spot. I wanted to pass out, but not out of boredom; the track is so tranquil. What sets the song apart from the others, though, is not its content, but its place alongside the next track. As the last stroke of the guitar and Demarco's wailing fades out, a jarring synthesizer breaks out with a hypnotically rhythmic and warm tone that signifies the start of 'Passing Out Pieces'. This track is SO fucking good. I'm so goddamn obsessed. In the last day alone, i've made excuses to take showers just so that I can stand in the warm water and listen to this song on repeat. Sadly, the next track ('Treat Her Better') is a snoozefest compared to the energy that 'Passing Out Pieces' provides. It's a shame that Demarco couldn't expand on that warm tone.
Nearing the end of the short LP (only 11 songs), there are a couple of standouts. 'Chamber of Reflection' provides more of the warm synths that make 'Passing Out Pieces' a standout, albeit a lack of energy. The last two tracks, 'Go Easy and 'Jonny's Odyssey', end the album in a confident and positive mood. But by the time the last song faded out, I couldn't help but be sad. Who knows when we'll get more Demarco? I don't know if I can wait another two years like I did for Salad Days. In the meantime, i'll be sitting poolside, jamming out to some shitty garage sale guitar tunes. This album is a must listen for any indie rock (or plain indie music) fans.
PROS: Lots of character. Instrumentals
are the absolute star of this album, and Demarco is a damn good
lyricist, too. Each track has a personality, and you can put this LP
on shuffle and jam out any time, any mood. You have the moody tracks,
the happy tracks, the upbeat anthems, the slow jams. Overall good ass
vibes.
CONS: Sometimes the order of the tracks
can be jarring. Super upbeat songs next to oddly slow ones, and vice
versa. Not a harsh criticism.
