Mac Demarco came to us at an interesting time in music. It was the early 2010’s and the industry was just starting to figure out how to use the internet to its fullest potential. Sites like Soundcloud and Bandcamp became breeding grounds for young artists piecing together their projects by hand with no backing from the majors. In walks a young kid with a flat-brim hat, his guitar, and a cigarette hanging out of his mouth, and the world of indie rock would never be the same.
Mac Demarco came crashing onto the scene in 2012 with his muddy concept album Rock and Roll Night Club. The album plays like a radio show and is full of groovy guitar licks and Demarco lowering his voice to a baritone as he spews infectious melodies. The most important song on Demarco’s debut comes in at track 7, “She’s Really All I Need”. This particular track stands out as it would become the blueprint for the sonics the world has come to know and love from Demarco. Unlike the others on the album, “She’s Really All I Need” features a brighter guitar tone and sees Demarco replacing his deep voice with a whispering falsetto. The combo of lush guitar layering and high-pitched singing would become a signature for Demarco and a sound we would hear him flush out completely on his sophomore LP, 2012’s 2.
Fast forward to today and Demarco has built one of the most exciting discographies in modern indie rock and influenced a generation of young guitar hopefuls, and he’s not done yet. On the morning of January 4, Demarco’s disciples awoke to terrific news, the announcement of a new album from the Canadian guitar virtuoso. Five Easy Hot Dogs is Demarco’s new instrumental album releasing on January 20. The album was recorded while the artist was road-tripping across the U.S. and features 14 songs named after the city they were recorded in.
In preparation for Demarco’s upcoming instrumental project, Glide dug through his discography to find his 10 best arrangements so far. Check out our picks below:
“Freaking Out the Neighborhood“
Album: 2
While Demarco’s sophomore album is filled with amazing musicianship, there is something to the blistering tempos used on “Freaking Out the Neighborhood” that puts it in a league of its own. As soon as you press play you’re greeted with a delicious guitar solo that breaks down as soon as the vocals hit and despite its ear-piercing pitch, the guitar feels right at home. The song proceeds to jump between tempos, creating a piece of music that feels alive and refuses to be forgotten.
“Another One“
Album: Another One
There is beauty in simplicity, and Demarco seemingly redefined that cliche with his work on the title track from his 2015 album. What makes this arrangement so great is its layering, knowing exactly when to bring in certain instruments and allowing the instrumental to breathe gives this song a unique personality. The pitter-patter of the drums is greeted with a beautifully written piano melody, all operating at the same level of relaxation. The magic here is how Demarco makes the somber exciting, the way he is able to use structure to keep this otherwise melancholy song from being too large of a rain cloud speaks volumes to the artist’s musicianship.
“She’s Really All I Need“
Album: Rock and Roll Night Club
This sweet little ballad is a highlight from Demarco’s complex debut album. On the album, the artist created a world of intricate guitar layering, incorporating a polyrhythmic technique to achieve the album’s muddy textures. For this particular track though, Demarco took a more straightforward approach and what it created would not only become the blueprint for his next few albums, it provided a much needed break from the difficult recording techniques that give Rock and Roll Night Club its undeniably impressive sonic soundscape. The warmth that emulates from the lo-fi style of mixing gives this song a charm that is inescapable and truly speaks to the forward thinking creative process Demarco would soon become known for.
“Chamber of Reflection“
Album: Salad Days
Mac DeMarco – Chamber of Reflection
Is it truly a conversation about Mac Demarco if someone doesn’t bring up “Chamber of Reflection”? While this song is easily the most recognizable in his discography, it’s not for no reason. The lushness of the synth sound used on this arrangement is enough to melt you into your seat on its own but the melody from that synth is truly unforgettable and creates a welcoming environment for the vulnerable lyrics Demarco penned for this instrumental. The steady drum pattern allows for the rest of the song to flow naturally and create an extremely moving piece of music and one of the best songs Demarco has recorded in his career.
“Just to Put Me Down“
Album: Another One
Twangy, catchy, simplistic, Demarco found the recipe for a damn-near-perfect indie rock track. The way these melodies interact with each other creates fluffy textures that have just the right amount of edge to them. While this song would still be terrific with just the guitar and drums, the reason “Just to Put Me Down” landed on this list comes in about 45 seconds after the song starts. Demarco adds these blunt synth chords that, while arguably simple, add a certain depth to this arrangement that puts it above the rest. These rudimentary chords add so much to this song due to their placement, they introduce themselves seamlessly and create a whole new feeling to these textures, allowing this track to avoid being just another catchy rock tune from Demarco.
“Heart to Heart“
Album: Here Comes the Cowboy
Easily Demarco’s most polarizing album, Here Comes the Cowboy divided Demarco fans. There was the half that appreciated the new sonic direction while the other half loathed the fun-loving melodies and country-tinged ballads. Regardless of how you feel about the album as a whole, denying the truly enjoyable moments on here would be criminal, “Heart to Heart” is one of those moments. The small hits of a wooden block give the feeling of a journey via horseback, leaving some breathing room from the rain-drop like keys. It’s not until the chorus that a third sonic element is brought in, a strange sound that hits the ear as a chord being rewound and filtered through some sort of tape manipulation. Demarco’s use of unconventional sounds to create a heartfelt ballad is one of the more impressive moments in his discography, a moment that should not be ignored.
“Moving Like Mike“
Album: Rock and Roll Night Club
“Moving Like Mike” transports you to a time of dusty dive bars and cigarettes indoors. Imagine a semi-circle of high-top tables surrounding a small stage, on stage stands Demarco as his low voice bellows over the competing guitar melodies and muffled drum pattern. Demarco’s use of syncopation on this song brings it to life and creates a certain feeling of freedom, you’re forced into the same pleasantly aloof mental space that fuels this track. Despite the song’s unpredictability, it still feels very digestible and even danceable, simplifying the complex for an enjoyable listen, a Demarco speciality.
“Passing Out Pieces“
Album: Salad Days
For a rare moment in his discography, Demarco created an instrumental that denounces simplicity and opts for a more full sound. Allowing himself to really flush out this expansive instrumental allows the song to transform throughout and create a whole universe within itself. The horn-sounding synths add a certain darkness that collides with cascading chords to create one of the more complex arrangements we’ve heard Demarco use post-debut. The demanding instrumental is so colorful and dense it almost distracts from his poetic songwriting here, taking on a life of its own and forcing itself to stand out on an album that is packed with memorable simplicity.
“On The Level“
Album: This Old Dog
On This Old Dog, the newfound indie rock king switched out his guitar for a more electronic sonic direction. Demarco’s 5th project leans more on digital instruments with its simplistic programmed drum patterns and layered synth progressions; these elements are executed masterfully on “On The Level”. The way everything swells up for the chorus is unbelievably satisfying while the spattering drum pattern interacts with the cloud-like keys to create an all-consuming arrangement that feels warm and inviting while still operating at a high level of musicianship. Demarco’s exploration into this sonic territory could not have gone better, he created an arrangement that strikes the perfect balance of murkiness yet clairvoyant.
“Baby Bye Bye“
Album: Here Comes The Cowboy
Yet another highlight from his controversial country album, Demarco created an odyssey of a ballad that truly encompasses the many sides of the man who created it. Within its nearly eight-minute run time, “Baby Bye Bye” sees Demarco continuing to expand his love for unconventional song structures by allowing the track to cycle through moods and tempos seamlessly.
The rocking first part of the song leans more to the countryside that is at the core of Here Comes The Cowboy, followed by a gorgeously simple ballad-style song that sees the instrumental completely fall apart, allowing Demarco to create a moment of intimacy. The third and final form this instrumental takes on comes by way of a happy-go-lucky, western tune that wraps up everything perfectly. Allowing the song to shift moods makes for an engaging listen but don’t get so wrapped up in the shape-shifting that you forget how difficult something like that is to achieve. Demarco put on a clinic of song structure with this approach and further proved that he has evolved and grown tremendously since he introduced himself with a puff of smoke and a strum of his guitar.
