“What mom don’t know has taken its toll on me,” sings 23-year-old Mac DeMarco on “Passing Out Pieces,” the lead single from his new album Salad Days. That statement is telling, as the self-described “jizz jazzer” has spent most of his young adult life on tour, likely partaking in the myriad of vices available at his disposal. One look at the guy will have you concerned for his health and safety — a perception DeMarco is trying to turn around on his second full-length LP.
As an idiomatic expression, “Salad Days” refers to the period of youthful inexperience often recollected by DeMarco in many of his songs. Some of the best tracks off his previous effort, 2, dealt in carefree adolescence, instrumentally slinking along like a hot summer afternoon. This general aesthetic carries on into Salad Days, where it is reflected upon with a deep sense of lyrical and instrumental nostalgia.
“As I’m gettin’ older, chip up on my shoulder / Rollin’ through life, to roll over and die,” laughs DeMarco on the title track opener, his voice devoid of any real concern yet peppered with a hint of uneasiness. Paired with the album’s starry, sometimes stumbling, guitar lines, this drunken pathos best evokes the philosophical meanderings of DeMarco’s slacker persona. “You’re no better off livin’ your life than dreamin’ at night / This much is true, but it’s still up to you to take my advice,” he sings over the bluesy twang of “Brother,” one of the album’s best tracks. The backhanded offering serves as Salad Days‘ lackadaisical thesis.
“Chamber of Reflection” sounds like the last dance at a late-eighties prom, complete with slow drums, stabbing synths, and funky bass. DeMarco’s surprisingly haunting vocals echo across the mix, lending a smoky, atmospheric touch to one of the album’s more somber moments. “Understand that when you leave here / You’ll be clear / Among a better man / Alone again,” he wails, likely hinting at the very common isolated feeling of the touring musician. Clocking in at just under four minutes, “Chamber” is the album’s longest track, slowly building upon itself but never overstaying its welcome — a respectful trick than can be attributed to DeMarco himself.
Maybe the title Salad Days should be taken more literally. For a man that used to stay up until midnight smoking cigarettes, DeMarco is sure working at a healthier, more realistic outlook on life. His maturation is quite impressive, with even his signature guitar sounding fuller and more emotive than ever. In retrospect, DeMarco has crafted a near-perfect springtime album for the frenzied postgraduate, filled with both mixed emotions and misdirection. “So don’t go tellin’ me how this boy should be leadin’ his own life / Sometimes rough but generally speakin’ I’m fine,” he sings on “Goodbye Weekend,” a disapproving farewell to his former hijinks. But if Salad Days is any indication of DeMarco welcoming some real responsibility, then his audience is sure in for a treat as he continues to figure it all out.
Review by Shea Garner. You can follow him on Twitter @sheaDUCK.
