Mac DeMarco 2

When the then 21-year old Mac DeMarco released his debut Rock and Roll Night Club 12"just a short while ago in the Spring of 2012, it was accompanied by a barrage of bizarrelyfunny promo videos, wildly unhinged live performances and a not-so-subtle disparate rangeof promo photos. The glam facade was purely that, an image that was manufactured for funto confuse the stiff and compartmentalizing world of indie music journalists. But it wasn't alla jest, as that EP covered a whole range of music styles that were latent in the ex-MakeoutVideotape frontman's already impressive slough of cassette-only releases. The sincere andwarm 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.Now, all of six months later, Mac is back with his first proper full length, Mac DeMarco 2.As opposed to RNRNC, "2" is a concerted effort to produce a cohesive work that showcasesMac's natural ability as a songwriter, singer and producer. With a new arsenal ofrecording gear, the fidelity has substantially improved without compromising the immediacyand organic quality of his prior releases under any monicker. The results are immediatelyrewarding, from the warm "Cooking Up Something Good" to the heartfelt "My Kind ofWoman." 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 MacDeMarco is still with us, coming along for the ride, getting everyone else in trouble. Evenso, the maturation process of Mac DeMarco, recording artist, is in full swing.He did, after all, turn 22 this April.