Simultaneously optimistic and forlorn, he sings, “Look in the mirror / Who do you see? Someone familiar / But surely not me / For he can’t be me / Look how old and cold and tired / And lonely he’s become,” as he realizes, “Oh no, looks like I’m seeing more of my old man in me.” DeMarco has a complicated family history but positively directs himself to look at “ all the steps that brought you where you are today.” DeMarco maintains a sense of lyrical authenticity while journeying through an evolutionary instrumental shift. He traded his typical style for the new, but with this album, DeMarco gives listeners a first glimpse at his personal life. It hearkens to Kurt Vile’s moody and reflective acoustic approach. The album opens with “My Old Man,” the track most notably different from previous work. This Old Dog features an evolved DeMarco, using mostly acoustic guitar with a large emphasis on synthesizer, with only one track using the electric guitar. The album adapts to his indie-pop style and feels like an extension of “Chamber of Reflection” from Salad Days with some neo-psychedelic rock elements. Amid relocating his life to Los Angeles, DeMarco formed a deeper investment in the end product and the songs, creating a cohesive narrative album, rather than simply a collection of songs.Īs DeMarco explored the progression of life and music, This Old Dog became inevitably more personal to him and warranted some rewriting. Rather than write, record and produce in a short timeframe, DeMarco spent more time with this album than he normally does. For newcomers to Mac, I recommend checking out "One Another", "Still Beating", "For the First Time", and "Moonlight on the River" with the closing track "Watching Him Fade Away".Mac DeMarco’s latest, This Old Dog, is a 13-track album, and his first full-length release since Salad Days in 2014. For all of Mac's goofy and downright crazy tendencies, at the center lies a fine songwriter with a knack for writing reflective tunes, and This Old Dog stands as his most consistent and musically deep album. While taking the laid-back vibes of Salad Days forward, he strips down to the acoustic guitar for much of this album with great success, while also including some of the keyboard hooks ("For the First Time", "One More Love Song") that 2015's Another One helped propel him to stardom in the indie rock community. With 2017's This Old Dog, Mac Demarco demonstrates what his long-time fans have known for awhile now - his knack for writing a heartfelt tune With 2017's This Old Dog, Mac Demarco demonstrates what his long-time fans have known for awhile now - his knack for writing a heartfelt tune that James Taylor or John Lennon would be proud of.
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