Mac DeMarco: This Old Dog Cassette

Mac is back! This Old Dog marks Demarco’s 4th full length, and from the sounds of the lead singles “This Old Dog” and “Your Old Man,” it promises more of the mellow melodies and chilled riffs he’s known for – but with a few subtle twists. The album showcases the first use of some newly acquired gear (namely the CR-78 drum machine) with lots of acoustic guitar and synthesizer washes. From Mac Demarco himself, “This record has a lot to do with my family and my life right now and the way Im feeling and stuff, One of the main goals for this record was trying to make sure I retained some kind of realness. Thats the bottom line. Being in any sort of spotlight can be jarring, especially when youre not preoccupied with touring and youre just sitting in your house writing songs. But wherever my bedroom is, the records are gonna be whatever is happening in there. I could be in Alaska and Im sure it wouldnt change things much. As long as I feel real then theres nothing else that matters…making these albums is just something that I have to do, and so I do it.”

• cassette version
• music label: Captured Tracks 2017

reviewed by Bo Linas 04/2017