2 (Mac DeMarco album)

DeMarco moved from Vancouver to Montreal in 2011. There, he recorded an mini LP under his own name, Rock and Roll Nightclub. Featuring slowed-down vocals and elements of glam rock, this recording garnered enough attention that his label, Captured Tracks, agreed to finance a full-length album.[2] DeMarco shifted his style from Rock and Roll Nightclub to 2, and his glam and crooning singing style were dropped for a more standard approach to guitar rock.[3] The album was composed and recorded in DeMarco's Montreal apartment, in the Mile End neighbourhood. DeMarco made the recording wearing only his "skivvies", or underwear.[4] In a June 2012 interview, DeMarco announced that about 75% of the album had been completed.[5]

The album contains a single acoustic track, "Still Together", which is a re-recording of "Together", written by DeMarco on 2009 to Makeout Videotape EP "Bossa Yeye", also features DeMarco using falsetto singing in the chorus.[6] The opener, "Cooking Up Something Good", uses a song structure where a catchy verse transitions to a "blindsiding" darker chorus.[7] "Robson Girl" also juxtaposes a "sweet" verse with a guitar-shredding chorus.[8]

Lyrically, DeMarco covers growing up in suburbia, failed love and family secrets, the last featuring heavily in "Cooking Up Something Good".[7] "Ode to Viceroy" is a tribute to the singer's favourite brand of cigarettes.[6] DeMarco is apologizing to his mother in "Freaking Out the Neighbourhood", and trying to convince a girl to leave town with him in "The Stars Keep on Calling My Name".[8]

In September 2014, DeMarco stated in a "What's in My Bag?" interview video at Amoeba Records in San Francisco, California that he had been inspired by the album art for Haruomi Hosono's Hosono House for the design of 2’s album cover.[9] In the same interview, DeMarco also points out his cover’s striking but coincidental similarity to Bruce Springsteen's The River.

Professional ratings

Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
AnyDecentMusic?	7.4/10[10]
Metacritic	81/100[11]
Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[12]
The Austin Chronicle	[13]
Consequence of Sound	[3]
The Guardian	[14]
Exclaim!	8/10[15]
MusicOMH	[16]
NME	8/10[8]
Pitchfork	8.2/10[7]
Time Out	[1]
Uncut	8/10[17]

The album was compared by several reviewers to Real Estate's 2011 release, Days.[3] NME called DeMarco a "skilled songwriter" and likened him to fictional character Ferris Bueller.[8] DeMarco's guitar work was praised by several reviewers.[6] The Guardian remarked that, although the initial tracks have promise, the album "never quite delivers" and criticised its "unvarying" tone.[14] Pitchfork gave an enthusiastic review, awarding the record its "Best New Music" designation. Reviewer Sam Hockley-Smith commented positively on DeMarco's songwriting and lyrical depth.[7] The website placed the album at 43rd on their "50 Best Albums of the Year" retrospective.[18]

The album was named a longlisted nominee for the 2013 Polaris Music Prize on June 13, 2013.[19]

The album was recognized as one of The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far, a list published by Pitchfork in August 2014.[20] In 2019, Pitchfork ranked the album at number 149 on their list of "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s".[21]

All credits adapted from physical releases

• Mac DeMarco - songwriting, all instruments, mixing
• Josh Bonati - mastering
• Evan Prosofsky - photography