To be fair, How Do You Do is more of a re-introduction to Mayer Hawthorne. Putting both albums back-to-back it may be difficult for a casual (or new) fan to pick sides. But don’t consider that a bad thing. Like the first album, there’s a vision on How Do You Do. Not only does Hawthorne write and perform these songs, but he also acts as the album’s producer. What we’ve begun to hear is a distinct style that we can attribute to Hawthorne. And it’s all appealing. From his falsetto tribute to the motor town “A Long Time” to his baritone duet with Snoop Dogg (yup, Snoop!) “Can’t Stop” these songs are seductive. Try you best not to sway along to “The Walk” or settle into the comfortable Motown appeal of “Hooked.”

This music certainly does breed a certain amount of comfort and familiarity, but it also exudes confidence. It’s hard to ignore Hawthorne’s self-assurance on How Do You Do (I believe the kids these days call it ‘swagger’?). He’s created a persona and that personality is fully engaged on How Do You Do. I guess it’d be difficult not to possess that type of confidence when you have guitar legends like Dennis Coffey playing on your album (listen to “Stick Around” and “You’re Not Ready”). Regardless, Hawthorne is magnetic and How Do You Do is the proof.