Salad Days

Against all odds, Mac DeMarco’s screwball lo-fi pop has become a big deal. And in the meantime, DeMarco has made a shift from the total ridiculousness of Rock and Roll Night Club to something more serene and reflective on this album. The tape-warped sound and tightly crafted songs are here to stay, though, so now we have a lovely offbeat summer soundtrack in Salad Days. All songs are good. FCC WARNING: 3.

1. (2:26)—Mid-tempo. Sunny, ambling. Goofy high-pitched la-la-las.
2. (2:06)—Slow, calm, just a little melancholy. DeMarco says, “Grow up,” which is sort of unexpected.
3. (3:33)—FCC WARNING (s***, just before the song begins—see track 12 for a clean version). Medium-slow. Lovely guitar melodies. Trippy vocals at the ending.
4. (3:03)—Mid-tempo, head-bobbing rhythm. Simple, slightly schmaltzy song about love. Nice drifting chorus.
5. (3:00)—Slow. Especially seasick guitar. Really pretty guitar solo, also seasick.
6. (4:08)—Medium-slow, sweet. Strummed acoustic guitar, shakers. DeMarco (originally from Montreal) hopes his girlfriend doesn’t get deported to Canada.
7. (2:47)—Mid-tempo. Trippy keyboards give this a tinge of sonic darkness.
8. (3:49)—Lush mid-tempo strut. DeMarco takes himself to task for his behavior.
9. (3:52)—Slow, heavily echoed drums. 80s keyboards. Different from everything else here—works really well.
10. (3:25)—Medium-slow, light, lilting, relaxing.
11. (2:38)—Instrumental. Anchored by a repetitive guitar line. Gets trippy and dubby in spots. Dead air from -0:25 to -0:05.
12. (3:30)—This is the clean version of track 3.