“ANOTHER ONE”

Captured Tracks

“Another One,” full of the dreamy tremolo that Mac DeMarco and his band have perfected since their breakthrough “2,” provides a bleak update on our boy’s love life. The mini LP’s eight tracks adeptly catalog the painful process of healing one’s wounds.

Looking for parallels to the seven stages of grief might be a little too on-the-nose (the skeleton is certainly there) but what’s most curious about “Another One” is the specificity of DeMarco’s grieving process. What happens when a goofy good-natured dude takes a blow, let alone one whose career it is to publicly process and share his experiences? The result is an interesting snapshot that starkly contrasts the picture he’s left us to piece together thus far. “Another One” is boldly vulnerable with little bitterness, an ultimate guide for how to incorporate dusting yourself off into your productivity instead of allowing it to derail you.

Whether his heartbreak is the fault of geography or the turn of love’s fickle tides, “Another One” continues to flex DeMarco’s unique gifts for phrasing and double meanings. The title is even multi-faceted, referring to “another one” could be a way to weaken the importance of his loss by seeing her as just another girl he’s lost, but could also highlight his disappointment of having lost again.

“No Other Heart” poses an interesting moment of reflection: when DeMarco croons, “What could you lose? / Well, for one: her heart / Belongs to another / And no other heart will do;” he’s simultaneously presenting both the imposing third party and the victim of his treachery. It is both a seedy inquiry and a bold challenge to end all inquiries.

ON TOUR: Oct. 28 — McMenamins Crystal Ballroom, Portland; www.mcmenamins.com.

— Dan Derks,

PopMatters.com