Faces Review

‘Faces’ is Mac Miller’s 11th mixtape. It was originally released in 2014, but was reissued recently and is finally available on all streaming platforms. The album is very experimental, with Miller using more jazz and psychedelic influence in his music. These experimental beats do not always sit well with me. Songs like ‘What do You Do’ and ‘Polo Jeans’ with Sir Michael Rocks and Earl Sweatshirt respectively were very difficult for me to get into. However, looking beyond the surface level, these songs along with the rest of the album are very emotional and hit on heavy topics. The album is heavily themed around Mac’s own addiction and depression. This project is arguably the darkest that Miller has ever made, with the jazzy instrumentals only making things more unnerving. This makes ‘Faces’ the perfect project to be reissued post Miller’s passing. This mixtape dives deep into Miller’s life and struggles. And while I personally prefer his final two albums, this mixtape release is welcome and seems necessary for Mac’s legacy.
The majority of the album was enjoyable. When the artist returned to his roots, are some of the highest points in the album for me. Mac Miller fits extremely well within the jazzy rap of the time this was released. And this album perfectly shows that off. Songs like ‘Therapy’, ‘Here We Go’ and ‘Funeral’ were some that stuck out to me. The majority of the second half of the mixtape is really fantastic as well. This project feels like it has not aged. There is a clear difference between this and his later projects, but the sound of ‘faces’ could easily be something newly released today.