Mac DeMarco has found his way from indie darling to stardom in the past decade. It has been impossible to avoid hearing one of his songs in the background of some nostalgic social media post or on the Instagram story of that one guy who wears carabiners and Carhartt. He has found his place as one of the faces of a generation of alternative music, an icon of indie.
Now, it’s been two years since he released both the instrumental-only Five Easy Hot Dogs and the 199-track demo tape One Wayne G. His last ‘proper’ album release was back in 2019 when he released Here Comes the Cowboy. Such a gap between lyrical records led me to be curious of how Mac would sound in his return. Would he mature lyrically? Would he go back to his classic sound? Would he do a whole 180? He had gone sober, turned 30, then 35 all since his last lyrical album. He has a lot to talk about and simultaneously nothing to prove, he’s already a legend. He can simply do whatever he wants, and it is sure to garner attention.
DeMarco released his sixth studio album, Guitar, via his own label, aptly named Mac’s Record Label, on August 22nd, 2025. Guitar’s opening track, “Shining,” immediately lays out the blueprint followed by the rest of this project: a stripped-back acoustic guitar setup, light drums, and a steady bass line. However, it also reveals one of Mac’s biggest flaws: the sometimes grating effect of his voice. As “Shining” opens, a scratchy, high-pitched voice comes along with it. I can’t stand it. The subdued instrumental gives this vocal blemish no place to hide. That aforementioned instrumental isn’t inspiring either. Ultimately, this is a dud of an opening.
Track two, “Sweeter,” does make up for it, bringing some nice backup vocals with easy flowing, apologetic lyrics. Yet another issue begins to unfold: the songs start to bleed into one another. This isn’t in a flowing, cinematic, Pink Floyd way, but rather the following few tracks sound the same, the guitar feels the same, and nothing is introduced to Mac’s vocal tone or the instrumentation. They also fall into a theme of retrospect and Mac’s growth from his early days, which I do appreciate. Luckily, these tracks sound good enough that I can bear listening to them and just enjoy the moody but easygoing music that unfolds.
“Terror” breaks this flow with the return of a few excruciating high notes. However, an electric guitar is finally brought into the mix. The new sound does just enough to negate the mediocre vocals, making the track just meh overall. “Rock And Roll” follows with the same rough high notes and nice electric guitar riffs. I want to like this track. I love how he makes the downward spiral of his rock lifestyle into a catchy song. However, the tone in which he sings is so annoying that I can’t enjoy the song!
The lead single “Home” is a good track, with nostalgic lyrics, a solid guitar riff, and tolerable vocals. “Punishment” is the only track after “Home” that I deeply enjoyed. Both songs had some great lyrics, giving an introspective look at his sobriety and new life. Along with “Nightmare,” they’re the few tracks that actually had some lyrical substance that was also bearable vocally. I like his little chorus , “smoke the whole pack, there’s no turning back from this one,” from “Nightmare.” He shows tremendous honesty on this song and a couple others, I wish he dug into this area more.
However, on the few tracks that take on this moody and introspective lyricism, the vocals sometimes overshadow the words in a bad way. The sorrowful and helpless lyrics of “Nothing at All,” for example, fall victim to Mac’s grating high voice. I feel Mac limited his potential depth by making the tracks so short. All he can muster is a quick chorus and maybe a few verses in the concise slot. Maybe that is just his way of catharsis. Or maybe he is just running out of creative juice.
Ultimately, this album feels incomplete. It seems too simple. Mac has seemingly rejected his synth-filled, reverb-loaded past in favor of just vibing with his guitar. That’s fun for him, but not great for making a unique album. This simplicity and short length (12 songs in 30 minutes) make the whole album feel more like glorified demos rather than a fully formed track. Some songs can’t even fit two full verses. Yet, what does Mac need to prove? He runs his own label, records music out of his home, and has made enough reverb-laden indie music for a lifetime of TikTok edits and sad playlists. Although I am disappointed by his long-awaited return, I can’t fault him for just vibing.
Final Verdict: 5/10
Check out:
“Nightmare”
“Home”
“Punishment”
