Mac DeMarco's second LP since last year's widely acclaimed 'Salad Days' is also his most compulsively listenable album since '2'. Ostensibly a mini LP rooted around the concept of love, it explores the many facets of being in a relationship, from the jealous insecurities of the title track through to the affirmative pop of 'I've Been Waiting For Her', it's Mac at his most lackadaisical.
This release was preceded by 'Some Other Ones', an instrumental album almost designed to soundtrack slacker BBQs, and the thematic similarities of both releases don't just stop at their similar titles. They each offer some fairly formulaic composition by Mac's standards. There are no robust 'Chamber Of Reflection' moments to speak of. They're essentially just pressure-free stopgap releases.
Ultimately, 'Another One' is the better of the two. What it lacks in ambition, it more than makes up for in songwriting. Mac's proximity to Patti Smith on the Field Day lineup this summer was no accident – he's slowly building a weighty claim for rock 'n' roll canonisation, but 'Another One' doesn't attempt anything new. What it lacks by way of revelation, it more than makes up for in satisfaction.
'Another One' wasn't intended for promoters, critics, or DJs. It's Mac cutting out the middlemen and directly communicating with his fans, and if the invite for coffee (complete with his full home address) at the end of closer 'My House By The Water' is anything to go by, they'll be communicating back in droves.
7/10
Words: Tim Hakki
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