Another One by Mac DeMarco

Short and sweet is Mac Demarco’s Another One. Recorded in his New York apartment, you feel at home with melodic songwriting and romantic forget-me-nots. The eight-song “mini-LP” owns the typical joyful quirkiness of its predecessors, but with a dash of darkness.

“The Way You’d Love Her” picks up right where Salad Days left off; lackadaisical hooks and the youthful attitude of DeMarco’s signature songwriting style dominate the record. That said, Another One definitely is similar, but one thing that sets it apart is the use of drowning arcade-like keyboards that contribute a haunting tone to the collection. “Trying so hard to believe in something that will never be," as Mac moans an emptiness of existence on the title track. Backed by a steady bass line, calming vocals, and a somber touch of keyboard dances through the song, creating a gloominess not always so common to the DeMarco discography.

With some added melodic fuel, the Canadian-native drops life into the slower tracks. Cooing vocals and loose guitar makes even the most dingy DeMarco song seem clean and refreshing. “A Heart Like Hers” owns a nostalgic feeling that is honest and free, as simplistic guitar leads tiptoe around a wooing synthesizer. “Without Me” has the same appeal, as each song seems to bounce along gently one into the other. The jaded lyrics of past and present lend a helping hand to the matter as they intertwine the listener, allowing you to relate to the struggle of life’s many concerns.

Since Another One is so brief, honing in under just 24 minutes, you quickly grasp a feel for the songs. The album ends almost perfectly as murky sounds of slushing water on “My House by the Water” conclude with the address to DeMarco’s apartment and an invitation for a cup a coffee.

• Album: Another One
• Artist: Mac DeMarco
• Label: Captured Tracks
• Songs: (1) The Way You’d Love Her (2) Another One (3) No Other Heart (4) Just to Put Me Down (5) A Heart Like Hers (6) I’ve Been Waiting For Her (7) Without Me (8) My House by the Water