“Fu** man! I was just on tour for a year and a half and I’m tired!” said 23-year-old Canadian musician Mac DeMarco to Exclaim! on the mood of “Salad Days”, his second full-length studio album released April 1. “I didn’t want to freak anybody out with a huge sound change; I wanted to transition without changing the vibe too much.”

  A quick look around the internet reveals a theme in DeMarco’s demeanor. He’s everybody’s favorite gap-toothed, chain-smoking prankster, known to fight boredom with bouts of full-frontal nudity during live performances. Described as a giant man-child, DeMarco appears to still be figuring out his direction in life. Yet, his talent for music-making offers a flicker of sophistication to this otherwise goofball attitude.

  Albeit DeMarco’s reputation as a slacker, “Salad Days” has managed to fulfill his self-described “jizz jazz” style heard in his previous album, lackadaisically named “2”. The smooth, laid-back vocals and carefree vibe that are consistent throughout “Salad Days” make it great for listeners in a do-nothing kind of mood.

 A few songs on the album stand out, one being “Brother” where DeMarco urges listeners to “let it go” in a hazy, guitar-heavy groove.

   Another is “Let My Baby Stay”, a soft-toned and intimate ballad about DeMarco’s struggle to get sober, and upon doing so his girl gets kicked out of the country. His soft spoken plea to “let my baby stay” adds a sweet touch to this staying-with-the-girl type song.   

  Finally, the metallic synths, washed-out vocals, and heavy bass riffs found in “Chamber of Reflection” make it perhaps the best song on the album. DeMarco’s somber remarks about loneliness are offset by a mellow, contemplative vibe, and a good friend of DeMarco’s, Tyler, The Creator has said this track is his favorite.

   Defined as the period when one is young and inexperienced, “Salad Days” is supposedly DeMarco’s wake-up call to adult life. Though higher expectations and a growing fan base are resulting from his music’s new maturity, I wouldn’t expect DeMarco himself to grow up too fast.