The Man in the Mirror: Mac DeMarco shares in ‘On the Level’
Dubbed, ‘Chamber of Reflection 2.0, Mac Demarco’s latest song, ‘On the level’ – due to appear May 5th on the album, ‘This Old Dog’ – expresses similar themes of introspection, all the while delving deeper into autobiographical experience.
Being ‘on the level’ is being honest, frank, and transparent, and Mac has always offered his fans this in varying incarnations; from the playfully troublesome young adult running amok through the neighbourhood, or the romantic-idealist swooning to the tune of unrequited love, Mac’s reliable transparency is one of the hallmarks of his likeability. In ‘On the Level’, Mac seeks to be transparent with himself:
Simple lyrics revealing a sense of regret, bitterness and lamentation: ‘Man, I never had a choice/never had a chance/never had a voice…’, work exceptionally well with the grimy and dissonant synths, which produce a sense of great emotional weight. ‘Chamber of Reflection’ is comparably more optimistic: ’Spent some time alone/getting ready for the day I’m born again/understand that when you leave here/you’ll be clear’, and its instrumentation is markedly brighter, and lighter, reflecting a contrastingly optimistic vibe.
‘On the level’ is a groovy and simple song that affirms Mac’s maturation as an artist. It’s an honest insight made emphatic through an effective pairing of instrumentation and straight-forward lyrical expression, and aligns well with ‘My Old Man’ and ‘This Old Dog’ the leading singles from the upcoming album.
The video is – yes, you guessed it – weird and freaky, but who’s kidding? I know you love it.
‘My Old Man’ with jazzy keys:
FYI: the album has been leaked, and Mac is - on the surface- indifferent:
