Every artist has a breakout album. A collection of songs so authentic and unique that it becomes undeniable and captures the attention of thousands, maybe millions of people. This doesn’t always mean commercial success and high streaming numbers, it could simply be an artist coming into their own and uncovering a sonic field to call their own. For Mac DeMarco and his 2014 LP Salad Days (released 4/1/14), , it was /*the latter. Demarco had already built a cult following by the time he went to record his second full-length LP considering the extensive touring he was doing before hitting the studio. Salad Days broke DeMarco onto the Billboard charts while also cementing his soft homemade indie rock as one of the most exciting sounds to come out in a long time.
While his lush lo-fi sound had been consistent across previous releases, there was an elevated sense of sentimentality on these Salad Days songs. DeMarco had been touring for the past few years and famously, his shows back then were rowdy. He became synonymous with drinking beer and smoking cigarettes on stage, a person we would see diminish over the years for health reasons and Salad Days felt like that turning point for the artist. No longer was DeMarco a guitar-wielding party animal, these 11 songs introduced the world to DeMarco’s true genius.
Of all DeMarco’s projects, Salad Days is an opus. The artist shed his rockstar persona to create deeply personal tracks that explored a newfound vulnerability in the artist. Everything from relationships to isolation is explored on this album, each concept being delivered on a bed of dreamlike guitar tones and lush harmonies. This change of pace was met with an avalanche of applause from critics and fans alike. His moving poetry brought every fan into DeMarco’s world, and a certain layer of mystique dissipated when songs like “Let Her Go” and the hit “Chambers of Reflection” were played. These songs play like diary entries, by allowing everyone one step closer, DeMarco was able to unlock a new side of his creativity. That side would prove to be a winning recipe, Salad Days landed at 30 on the Billboard charts and number 11 on the Top Rock Albums.
The LP captured a special moment in the life of Mac DeMarco. Exhausted from constantly touring and putting on jaw-dropping performances that redefined a “rowdy crowd”, Salad Days is the calm after the storm. Ironically, a whole new storm was forming over the horizon thanks to the commercial success and critical praise. This storm contained a new level of success that would propel DeMarco into the artist he is today. The sound he crafted for Salad Days was his own, no other self-produced artist was or has been able to find such unique tones and mix them with a guitar prowess like no other.
DeMarco found a sonic home on Salad Days. The warmth that radiates from these songs must be similar to DeMarco’s feeling when he walks into his home after an extensive stint on the road. By listening to himself and honing his songwriting, DeMarco unlocked a sound that would go on to influence and inspire a generation of artists. A full decade has gone by since Mac DeMarco released his seminal Salad Days LP and it is an album we will be talking about for several more decades.
