Mac DeMarco 2 on LP

When Mac DeMarco released his debut Rock and Roll Night Club 12” in the spring of 2012, it was accompanied by a barrage of bizarrely funny promo videos, wildly unhinged live performances and a not-so-subtle disparate range of promo photos. The glam facade was purely that, an image that was manufactured for fun to confuse the stiff and compartmentalizing world of indie music journalists. 

But it wasn’t all in jest, as that EP covered a whole range of music styles that were latent in the ex-Makeout Videotape frontman’s already impressive slough of cassette-only releases. The sincere and warm Mac who sang “Only You” was the same lipstick-wearing sleazoid that crooned “Baby’s Wearing Blue Jeans” and that suited him and his listeners just fine.

Six months later, Mac returned with his first proper full length, Mac DeMarco 2. As opposed to RNRNC, 2 marks a concerted effort to produce a cohesive work that showcases his natural ability as a songwriter, singer and producer. With a new arsenal of recording gear, the fidelity has substantially improved without compromising the immediacy and organic quality of prior releases under any monicker. The results are immediately rewarding, from the warm “Cooking Up Something Good” to the heartfelt “My Kind of Woman.” 

It’s obvious Mac is presenting himself musically in the most sincere way possible, no matter what happens in his wild videos or live shows. “Freaking Out the Neighborhood,” Mac’s apologetic ode to his loved ones about such public behavior, shows that Mac DeMarco is still with us, coming along for the ride, getting everyone else in trouble. Even so, the maturation process of Mac DeMarco, recording artist, is still in full swing. 

1.  Cooking Up Something Good

2.  Dreamin’’

3.  Freaking Out The Neighborhood

4.  Annie

5.  Ode To Viceroy

6.  Robson Girl

7.  The Stars Keep On Calling My Name

8.  My Kind Of Woman

9.  Boe Zaah

10. Sherrill

11. Still Together