What more can be said about Mac DeMarco? This 29 year old Canadian goofball has shaken the indie sphere from the comfort of his own home throughout the last decade. The album that enlisted so many new fans to his loyal army is still just as relevant in 2020.
Mac began recording music in 2009 under the name “Makeout Videotape” until his EP Rock and Roll Night Club was released under his current name in 2012. His latest release was 2019’s Here Comes the Cowboy, a more folk inspired take on his sound.
In 2014, he released Salad Days, the album that cemented DeMarco as the face of teenage boredom. The feeling of sitting at home all day, thinking about progressing in life and never actually getting up and doing it. The concept of comfort zones and the failure to experiment. All of these topics are intensely dissected through Mac’s groovy and intimate style. The woozy and relaxing aura of the music surrounding you constantly fights back against the nervous lyrics feeling your head.
In contrast to his chill and casual appearance, Mac conveys some pretty anxious and tense emotions through this album. The project was recorded in his apartment after a long tour, and Mac had recently moved from Canada to Brooklyn. Unsure of where life was taking him, he recorded this music to share his feelings of monotony and isolation.
A perfect example of the introverted voice behind this album is present in the track “Blue Boy.” This fun beachy track has a sort of teasing tone to it. As Mac calls out the “blue boy” who is “worried ‘bout the world’s eyes” and “worried ‘bout his haircut.” DeMarco questions the importance of what others really think about you or how you look. He does so in a friendly and soothing manner, his messages are never a lecture, but rather a friendly word of advice.
Most tracks on Salad Days behave in this manner; relaxing and fun music that distracts you from the reality check you’re currently receiving. It’s as if Mac was trying to keep his same old funky sound, while diving into some more intimate and personal topics.
Not all the instrumentation is bright and sunny, however. The track “Chamber of Reflection” is an incredibly introspective meditation on growth and changing as a person. The song asks you to reflect on your surroundings and prepare for the inevitable growth you will undergo. The track opens with “spend some time away, getting ready for the day you’re born again.” The powerful words are accompanied by a piano melody originally composed by Shigeo Sekito in 1975.
If anything, that little fact should tell you that Mac DeMarco is a true crate digger. The man enjoys the obscure and bizarre. Always experimenting and branching out, Mac surely turns down some unique paths of inspiration. A quick YouTube search will show you the wonderfully whimsical life of Mac. He’s a collector of music, old movies, ancient video games, and more.
To this day, Mac enjoys collecting things, smoking cigarettes, and playing music with his friends. For a kid who writes music about growing up, I don’t think he will ever change. Perhaps the societal anxieties he felt on Salad Days have passed, and he understands his place in the world. Now in 2020, we can see Salad Days as a message from the ghost of Mac DeMarco’s teenage past. The fears he felt back then are gone, he currently records music from the comfort of his home and does exactly what he loves the most.
Salad Days should inspire us to find a comfortable spot to reflect, just as Mac did in his Brooklyn apartment. The album shows us that it’s possible to grow up in your own way on your own time. Now, what will come from your “chamber of reflection?”
As a bonus, here’s a funny story about Mac. On his 2015 Another One EP on the final track titled, “My House by the Water,” Mac gave out his full New York address in the last few seconds of the album. He throws in “stop on by, I’ll make you a cup of coffee.” Mac knew it wouldn’t go unnoticed, but sure enough, crowds of kids were showing up outside his house every hour of the day. To no one’s surprise, he was totally chill about it.
THOMAS MAZZAFERRO 