Day 3: Mac Demarco - Guitar
Album art courtesy of Mac's Record Label
I’m a casual Mac DeMarco enjoyer, but I haven’t really listened to his newer stuff. So before listening to his new album, I thought I’d see what he’s been up to. I read his interview in Dazed, and apparently he’s now five years sober and has become very interested in Amish farming techniques and plumbing – haven’t we all – and he’s all about the guitar now. He realised there’s synth on only one song on the album, so he deleted the synth part and called his new album Guitar.
Considering that I haven’t listened to his newer albums very much, the difference of Guitar compared to some of his earlier work is stark. It’s mellower. He sounds more vulnerable than before. Obviously he’s not going to be making songs like “Freaking Out The Neighbourhood” anymore, of which he said “That song is to my mom, apologizing for being a bit of a disgrace to the family. They saw a video of me stickin’ drumsticks up my ass on YouTube.”
Guitar features a version of Mac DeMarco who is sober and firmly in his 30s, seemingly not in a headspace where he’s shoving drumsticks up himself on stage. He has calmed down, and so has his music. Some of his fans online were critical of his new sound, saying Guitar is low-effort and half baked, but I just don’t agree. It’s pared back and simple, but simple isn’t necessarily a bad thing. And as much as his young fans and Reddit’s music bros might hate it, sometimes people do grow up.
There’s something very charming about Guitar, and that’s probably because there’s something very charming about Mac DeMarco. There’s just a special quality that oozes out of his songs, and the result is always fun to listen to. Guitar feels like an album where he had some things to get off his chest and wanted to make something to reflect where he is at this time, as opposed to something more commercial.
Maybe it’s just because of where I am in my life at the moment, meaning not too far away from Mac DeMarco’s Amish farming techniques plumbing enthusiast lifestyle, that I feel like I see the vision. I think Mac DeMarco conveyed what he wanted to convey. Guitar is a 6.5/10 for me, and I’m happy that he’s back on my radar. But mostly, though, I’m looking forward to seeing what he does next.