MAC DEMARCO plays NXNE on June 16 at the Silver Dollar. See listing. Rating: NNNN
In his previous guise as Makeout Videotape, Montreal via Edmonton’s Mac DeMarco had a knack for making hooky, reverb-drenched indie pop. His band’s frustratingly sloppy, tongue-in-cheek live performances, though, demonstrated that the young singer/songwriter wasn’t comfortable playing it straight.
His first album released under his own name filters dusted jangle-pop gems through that same goofy, subversive sense of humour, and the result is strangely compelling rather than off-putting. DeMarco goes to a deeper, sleazier register and warps his guitars, creating a surreal sun-drenched sound. It’s woozy, odd, weirdly familiar and distinct enough that the repurposed Makeout Videotape jam Only You (one of their best) sounds out of place.
It’s all hard to process at first, but that won’t stop you from returning to it over and over again.
Top track: Baby’s Wearin’ Blue Jeans
