Few musicians in the indie rock scene have captivated audiences such as Canadian singer-songwriter, Mac Demarco. Demarco contrasts with other frontmen and musicians in due to his goofy persona, chill demeanor, and his crazy onstage antics. His personality extends to his music as well having an easygoing vibe. His recent album, This Old Dog is a bit of a different story. The album throws out the trademarks of his style with jangly electric guitars and analog audio quality and replaces it with acoustic guitars. As a result, this is a record that is more organic sounding than any of his previous work.
The album is inspired by Demarco’s father being diagnosed with a terminal illness. This led to themes of age, romance, and family that are explored throughout the album. His songwriting is the best it’s ever been, with the tracks being more heartfelt and personal. While fans might be disappointed with the change in style, it’s well executed by Demarco and feels like a natural shift in tone rather than an abrupt one.
The standout tracks on this album include, “This Old Dog, “For the First Time, and “Moonlight on The River”. “This Old Dog” is the second single on the record and deals with Demarco’s fear of aging with the person he loves. “For the First Time” is a synth driven love song with Demarco crooning beautifully throughout the track. “Moonlight on The River” is a seven-minute psychedelic trip of a song that deals with his strained relationship with his father.
This Old Dog is a nice change of pace of Demarco’s dense discography. This may be the type of album to drive away fans as it requires patient listening, but old or new fans can come to appreciate this new album.