Mac DeMarco is back with an ideal sleepy afternoon soundtrack Salad Days. DeMarco proves once again that he has perfected the cool effortlessness that fans have fallen in love with. Salad Days, his third full-length album, which is scheduled to drop Tuesday, exemplifies DeMarco’s boy-next-door appeal. Tracks like “Blue Boy” are played with a sense of intimacy, as if casually for a friend in his room.

Salad Days is heavy with mellow tracks like “Brother” and “Go Easy”, which are sure to put you to sleep, and this time that is not an insult. Think of this as your dreamy background for a midday nap. Thematically, DeMarco acknowledges his fading boyhood and cynicism toward approaching adulthood, yet manages to brush it off lightly with an endearing quality.

The album’s opening line sets up its tone: “As I’m getting older chip up on my shoulder, rolling through life to roll over and die.”
Perhaps this newfound maturity and drowsy sound are a result of his tireless touring. Comparatively speaking, Salad Days is no standout like II, which projected him to stardom. “My Kind of Woman” or “Ode to Viceroy” are nowhere to be found, but there is a collective feeling of comfort and connection in the new LP.

DeMarco trades some of his trademark playfulness in return for being “one of us.” But ladies, don’t worry, Macky did not trade in his romanticism. There are still tender love ballads like “Let My Baby Stay,” with the lyrics “I was made to love her, been working at it half of my life.” In addition, DeMarco also reveals daring tracks like “Chamber of Reflection” and “Passing Out Pieces,” in which he incorporates an unfamiliar dreamy-psychedelic sound unlike his acoustic II niche.

Salad Days showcases a lethargic DeMarco but is still a strong addition to his engaging catalog.