Rating: 
Salad Days marks the artist known as Mac Demarco’s third full-length record, and while cult fans will argue for this gentleman’s inherent merit from the very start of his career on Rock and Roll Nightclub. Others, myself included, are somewhat newer to the Demarco train, with Two signifying a great deal of growth to his sound. Whether you’ve been a fan from the start or are just joining in, fans new and old both agree that Salad Days is a pleasure to listen to, showing a maturation to the Hill Billy meets jangly Rock & Roll style that Mac Demarco has come to signify.
What makes this third album a hit is that is seems like everything has finally come together: the sound is polished, but is still far from prim. Take the title track and opening number for a testament to this sentiment. The record starts with the line “As I’m getting older, chip upon my shoulder,” sets us up for the combination of whimsy and gravity that Mac Demarco is bringing to the table this time around. You have the playful rhyming couplet that describes a coming of age and seriousness. Here there is a genuine juxtaposition of sound and sentiment that seem to take on the perils of life without taking things too seriously. The sound is light and airy, bouncy as it lyrically tackles not-so-light topics. There’s a tightness to the jangle of the guitar riffs that come across as a stripped down version of Weezer a-la “Island in the Sun.”
The most refined song in my opinion comes toward the end, fittingly on “Chamber of Reflection.” A tinny synth accompanies the musical elements that Demarco has already laid out for us, spicing things up and combining the jangly rock with an R&B spin to it. Falsetto vocals open up the song, and also build upon themselves with harmonies through the repetition of “alone again.” This track is a push for the overall sound that we’ve come to know, and it makes me hopeful for the future of this gentleman’s work: he doesn’t shy from growth and change, but incorporates it into his stride.
At the end of the record, you’ll definitely be ready to start it over again. What you have is not an hour-long album of epic proportion with cinematic lyrics and complicated string arrangements, but rather a simple combination of jangly guitar riffs, groovy bass lines, plain percussion and vocals that don’t try to be anything they aren’t. Such is what makes Salad Days enticing: the simplicity and ease are the centerpiece to which Mac Demarco has learned to build upon to create an enjoyable and tireless record. It’s easy to shy away from all the hype around this artist, but I invite you to see for yourself what all the talk is about.
Expectations were quite high for Tuesday night at Stubbs. Riding high off the release of Another One, Mac Demarco and company came to a sold out venue to share the new tunes as well as jam out some of the old. Playing to quite the young crowd, though one who has probably seen the band in some capacity—over the past year, Mac has played not only one, but two of Austin’s festivals. For those who have seen Demarco’s live act, the night was quite predictable, but nevertheless enjoyable. Read on for my full recap.
