Mac Miller - Best Day Ever [2LP Lavender]

Mac Miller's Best Day Ever captures the Pittsburgh rapper at his most carefree, pressed here on lavender double vinyl.

First released as a free mixtape in 2011, it followed the breakthrough of K.I.D.S. and arrived with a grin on its face. Miller was still a teenager, rapping about friends, good times and small-scale ambition with an easy charm that won over a huge online audience almost overnight. Years later it was remastered and given a proper commercial release, finally putting it alongside his studio albums.

Most of the production comes from Pittsburgh team ID Labs, and the beats are sunny and soulful, built on bright samples and laid-back drums. "Donald Trump" became the breakout, a cocky ode to getting rich that gave Miller his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100. The title track opens the tape with a sense of pure possibility, "Wear My Hat" is goofy fun, and "Keep Floatin'" brings in fellow Pittsburgh star Wiz Khalifa for a hometown team-up.

Listening now, knowing where Miller's music went, there is something poignant in hearing him this young and unburdened, already sharp on the mic and clearly having the time of his life.

It is the lighter side of a catalogue that grew deep and searching, and it still sounds like the first warm weekend of summer.