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Mac DeMarco is a character. There is no other way of describing him. The contrast between the vulgarity of his live performances and the content of his music makes him uniquely fun. DeMarco’s eccentricities are making him into a household name. He is certainly talented, but his ability to entertain his fans is what marks the young Canadian as a potentially special artist. Salad Days takes some of that quirkiness, adding more funk and depth to DeMarco’s music and lyrics.
DeMarco avoids disappointment after his stellar debut album, 2, by being himself and letting the music flow. 2 specialized in making the experience light and grounded in common daily issues. For example, “Cooking Up Something Good” spelled out a nice little story about DeMarco’s dad possibly cooking meth in the basement. As I said, obviously common daily issues.
Salad Days, comparatively, is a pleasure characterized by ’60s-style vocals, gentle guitar pickings, and the occasionally phat synth. The shift in his musical style from the days before he signed with Captured Tracks is pretty dramatic. From the start of the album, a calm feeling permeates each song. The first half of Salad Days is more typical of the happy and playful style that characterized 2. The leading track, “Salad Days,” is light, simple, and whimsical. The plucky guitar and old-timey vocals of 2 are in full force. “Blue Boy” follows as a perfect example of how DeMarco manages to make a depressing theme happy and playful. Each little strum of the guitar leads perfectly into the next until the track abruptly ends, leaving listeners yearning for more.
Both “Brother” and “Goodbye Weekend” begin the shift into DeMarco’s newer style. Following “Blue Boy,” “Brother” is a darker track that lacks the usual upbeat nature of his music. The guitar establishes what is best described as an “off” mood. Ever feel like you are having an off day? The first word out of DeMarco’s mouth is “Shit,” followed by the continual message “go home.” The eerie wailing closing the song completes the bad-day vibes. “Goodbye Weekend” continues the gloomier trend of Salad Days. Like “Brother,” the track displays DeMarco’s impeccable ability to create and emote a train of thought. Salad Days’ structure is apparent in the placement of “Goodbye Weekend” after “Brother;” his message that life is “Sometimes rough but generally speaking I’m fine” is a good message following the depressing nature of “Brother.”
“Passing Out Pieces” and “Chamber of Reflection” are representative of DeMarco’s funkier brand of music seen in Salad Days. The deep, resonating bass in “Passing Out Pieces,” with its highs and lows, is a highpoint of the album. DeMarco’s lyrics and tone complement the synth perfectly. The highlight of Salad Days is “Chamber of Reflection.” The funky synth, higher-octave vocals, and repetitiveness combine to create a shoe gazing masterpiece. The combination of the deep bass, à la “Passing Out Pieces,” combined with the organ-esque synth is spectacular. Completing the song’s introspective nature is the repeated line, “Alone again, alone again.”
DeMarco’s declaration in the title track that “salad days are gone” might be sad for salad connoisseurs. However, picky eating aside, the song’s message of growing maturity amidst the challenge of facing the aging process demonstrates the evolution of DeMarco’s music. Salad Days is merely the next step in the magnificent mellowing of Mac DeMarco, and I can’t wait to hear what he does next.