Mac Demarco, Salad Days | Album Review

Alternative singer/songwriter Mac Demarco delivers one of the best albums of 2014 with Salad Days.

“Oh now, you’ve done it again / No use when you already know how it ends.” Throughout Salad Days, singer/songwriter Mac Demarco seems incredibly down – there is the sense of the constant ‘bummer’. The aforementioned lyrics, excerpted from “Treat Her Better”, would suggest this extreme pessimism from the Canadian artist. However, even though Demarco gets down within Salad Days about various things, he also offers atoning words of wisdoms and relatable truths. It sounds deep…and honestly it is, even when Demarco’s lyrics seem childishly simple (“Blue boy, blue boy”). There is a magic about Salad Days that makes the 11-track, 34-minute affair among the best of 2014 – it’s almost hypnotic.

“Salad Days”

“Salad Days” opens the album abruptly, but makes perfect sense once it settles in. Nonchalantly performed by Demarco, the approach is part of the endearment of the track as well as the album as a whole. Essentially, Demarco delivers the song from the perspective that his life is done, despite his young age:

“Salad days are gone
Missing hippy Jon
Remembering things just to tell ‘em so long.”

Even if the “salad days are gone,” Demarco seems like he still has livelihood left. “Blue Boy” seems less concerned about life moving too fast, but trades that concern for being “worried about the world’s eyes / Worried every time the sun shines.” “Blue Boy” is incredibly relatable, particularly to the worrywart who is too fearful of any and everything. The realistic and relatable nature of “Blue Boy” is definitely part of the allure.

“Brother”

On “Brother,” Demarco continues to sing in an undertone, definitely part of the ‘script’. “You’re no better off, living your life and dreaming at night,” the singer/songwriter sings both memorably and prudently on the standout. The production has soulfulness about it, even if it isn’t an overt soul cut. Besides stellar lyrics and a fantastic performance, the guitar, particular during the “Go home” portion of the song, is superb.

“Let Her Go” follows up sensationally, as Demarco waves the finger about leading “her” on:

“Tell her that you lover her, if you really love her
But if your heart just ain’t sure, let her go.”

The style/approach remains easygoing and somewhat mellow if you will, but definitely meaningful. “Goodbye Weekend” proves groovier than “Let Her Go,” sporting funkiness about it. Demarco shows some jazziness within his vocals, which is definitely a fine touch. In addition to the jazziness, Mac has swagger too:

“Goodbye weekend, so long darling
Macky’s been a bad, bad boy.”

Get it Mac!

“Passing Out Pieces”

“Let My Baby Stay” is the lengthiest song on this brief affair. Perhaps it rides out a bit too long at the end, but overall, Demarco gets things just right. The rhythmic intensity of the guitars here in particular stands out. A better track is “Passing Out Pieces,” in which the sound is incredibly assertive, despite the lyrics suggesting/questioning otherwise: “Watching my life, passing right in front of my eyes / hell of a story, or is it boring?” Here, Demarco seems to continue to lament his humdrum life, confirming how even the closest people in his life don’t understand:

“What mom don’t know has taken its toll on me
It’s all I’ve seen that can’t be wiped clean
It’s hard to believe what it’s made of me.”

“Treat Her Better” offers advice that many men could stand to heed to:

“Treat her better, boy
If having her at your side’s something you enjoy.”

The guitars are dreamy-sounding and out of tune – all part of the sound/vibe. “Chamber of Reflection” is definitely a change of pace from everything else, featuring a hard, heavy beat and synths. Bass punctuations brilliantly anchor things down, while an exceptional harmonic progression exemplifies R&B/soul music. Further praising the instrumental aspects, Demarco makes excellent use of space and pacing. The vocals continue in understated fashion, making the listener truly listen closely and think about the lyrics. The chorus is nothing ‘special’ on paper, but perfectly sums up the track contextually: “Alone again, alone again / Alone again, alone.”

Penultimate track “Go Easy” contrasts the reflective “Chamber of Reflection” with a slightly quicker, medium groove. Demarco is still relaxed, but his words continue to carry weight whether it’s “I’ll be right behind you / To pick you up until you come around” or later instance, “Honey it can be tough, without your friends beside you / You build it up, just to knock it down.” Moving on definitely isn’t easy, and that seems to be Demarco’s messaging here. “Jonny’s Odyssey” closes Salad Days with ranch dressing.  “Jonny’s Odyssey” is an enjoyable instrumental cut.

Final Thoughts

So, just how good is this Salad Days album? Well it’s definitely not anywhere near the ‘bore’ that Mac Demarco describes his life as within it. Salad Days is one of the most intriguing albums of the year because of its subtlety, thoughtfulness, and overall creativity. Demarco definitely isn’t best vocalist I’ve ever heard, and I would wager that few would strike this assertion down, but his vocal style and tone is perfectly suited for this style of music. Most important, the songwriting and overall sound and craft of the songs on Salad Days is exceptional. I’m onboard!

Gems: “Salad Days,” “Brother,” “Passing Out Pieces” & “Chamber of Reflection”

Mac Demarco • Salad Days • Captured Tracks • Release: 4.1.14

Photo Credit: Captured Tracks