Review Summary: Salad Days are a period of time in which hardships are few and life is comfortably lived.
Now, these are some damn tasty jams. Mac Demarco, you’ve done it right. While Rock and Roll Night Club and 2 helped you find your feet and meticulously chisel out an affectionate aesthetic, Salad Days is going to be the release that gets you the recognition that you deserve. Not only does Salad Days construct a delicate amount of fantastic music on top of steadfast foundations, it has been allowed to grow into a much greater, more polished and complete album than anything that DeMarco has done previously.
The only reason I haven’t been bat*** crazy about either of DeMarco’s previous releases is because, upon continuous listening, the cracks in the gloss tend to show, exposing the formulaic ecosystem that ebbs beneath most of DeMarco’s previous tracks. With a transition away from familiar chord progressions and harmonies to a more sporadic, less calculated approach to songwriting has allowed Salad Days to blossom.
Salad Days stays true to its roots, it had to. A transition from the soothing, summer-y, tranquil tunes to anything heavier would have been far too jarring. Where we see Salad Days come into its own is in the minor details. An addition of a synth, a break in formula or an unpredictable beat change, this is where Salad Days shines. I mean, Passing Out Pieces has a remarkably “hip-hop” beat, that DeMarco balances perfectly on with his sincere, carefree voice. Salad Days perfectly captures the most chill of atmospheres. It almost feels like DeMarco has put zero effort into this album, and in some kind of perfect disaster, given birth to a really beautiful piece of work.
Sure, some of the guitar work on Salad Days is a bit predictable, but it never really detracts from the sublime experience. When you truly immerse yourself in Salad Days, you’re not thinking about predictable guitars, or the hours of work that has gone into this thing. You’re thinking of better days, you’re thinking of perfect weekends, you’re thinking of the hot sun beating down on your back, you’re thinking of that special someone in your life. Above all, though, you’re awestruck with just how amazing, how intricate, how good this record is.
Salad Days are a period of time in which hardships are few and life is comfortably lived. What a wonderfully apt description of this record.
Mac Demarco, you really have cooked up something good. You’re my kind of man. I’m going to light up a viceroy and freak out the neighborhood. Might hit up a rock and roll nightclub, before the stars start calling my name.
I’ll stop.
These are not my salad days, in which I am green in judgement.
Great release, great vibes, great times.
Highly Recommended
JV
