Review: Mac Demarco - Another One

To call Mac Demarco a slacker is quite unfair­—he’s now on his fourth studio album in as many years. But Mr Demarco has found himself crowned the king of that laid-back summer “slacker” sound: lazy, crooning vocals alongside effortless-sounding yet intricate guitars.

His previous album Salad Days was met with much hype after his phenomenal second album 2 made ripples across the alternative scene. Now the waves have calmed, and Demarco's latest album too has slowed.

It's appropriate to carry on with the water metaphors, as it was recorded at his home beside the water in Rockaway, Queens (captured in the feild recording of the final track 'My Home By the Water'; gentle water flowing seemingly through swimming fingers). Demarco's sound itself mimics the coming and going of the tide, his guitar modulating in and out, giving the impression one is floating. 

Another One is a delicate offering, which feels more mature than previous outings. There is not one single song about cigarette smoking ('Ode to Viceroy'), instead the songs contain a sensitivity Demarco always hinted at but has never been fully realised until this album ('A Heart Like Hers').

Demarco is applying his talent to instruments other than the guitar, introducing synth to the mix and adding new depth to his already recognisable style. In many ways, this is a settling-down album rather than a coming-of-age one—and even at only 22 minutes long, it’s full of heart.

Key tracks: 'Another One', 'A Heart Like Hers', 'Without Me'

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