2 (Mac DeMarco album)
2 is the debut full-length studio album by Canadian musician Mac DeMarco. It was recorded in June 2012, and released in October 2012 on the Captured Tracks label.
| 2 | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | October 16, 2012 | |||
| Recorded | June 2012 | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 31:27 | |||
| Label | Captured Tracks | |||
| Mac DeMarco chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
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.[1] 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.[2] 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.[3] In a June 2012 interview, DeMarco announced that about 75% of the album had been completed.[4]
Music
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.[5] The opener, "Cooking Up Something Good", uses a song structure where a catchy verse transitions to a "blindsiding" darker chorus.[6] "Robson Girl" also juxtaposes a "sweet" verse with a guitar-shredding chorus.[7]
Lyrically, DeMarco covers growing up in suburbia, failed love and family secrets, the last featuring heavily in "Cooking Up Something Good".[6] "Ode to Viceroy" is a tribute to the singer's favourite brand of cigarettes.[5] 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".[7]
Artwork
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.[8] In the same interview, DeMarco also points out his cover’s striking but coincidental similarity to Bruce Springsteen's The River.
Reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.4/10[9] |
| Metacritic | 81/100[10] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic | [11] |
| The Austin Chronicle | [12] |
| Consequence of Sound | [2] |
| The Guardian | [13] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[14] |
| MusicOMH | [15] |
| NME | 8/10[7] |
| Pitchfork | 8.2/10[6] |
| Time Out | [16] |
| Uncut | 8/10[17] |
The album was compared by several reviewers to Real Estate's 2011 release, Days.[2] NME called DeMarco a "skilled songwriter" and likened him to fictional character Ferris Bueller.[7] DeMarco's guitar work was praised by several reviewers.[5] The Guardian remarked that, although the initial tracks have promise, the album "never quite delivers" and criticised its "unvarying" tone.[13] 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.[6] 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]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Mac DeMarco.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Cooking Up Something Good" | 2:41 |
| 2. | "Dreaming" | 2:27 |
| 3. | "Freaking Out the Neighborhood" | 2:53 |
| 4. | "Annie" | 3:10 |
| 5. | "Ode to Viceroy" | 3:53 |
| 6. | "Robson Girl" | 2:56 |
| 7. | "The Stars Keep On Calling My Name" | 2:22 |
| 8. | "My Kind of Woman" | 3:10 |
| 9. | "Boe Zaah" | 1:41 |
| 10. | "Sherrill" | 2:29 |
| 11. | "Still Together" | 3:39 |
| Total length: | 31:27 | |
Personnel
All credits adapted from physical releases
- Mac DeMarco - songwriting, all instruments, mixing
- Josh Bonati - mastering
- Evan Prosofsky - photography
Charts
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Heatseekers Albums (Billboard)[22] | 26 |
References
- ^ Traynor, Cian. . The Stool Pigeon. Archived from the original on 17 November 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
- ^ a b c Arroyo, Steven (October 30, 2012). . Consequence of Sound. Archived from the original on February 5, 2013. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ Leijon, Eric (December 12, 2012). "Mac DeMarco keeps his music clean and his apartment dirty". Montreal Gazette. Retrieved 12 December 2012.
- ^ Skinner, Tesse (June 11, 2012). . Toro. Archived from the original on September 22, 2015. Retrieved September 20, 2015.
- ^ a b c Whelan, Alex. "Mac DeMarco's new record shines with its Montreal roots". Arizona Daily Wildcat. University of Arizona. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d Hockley-Smith, Sam (October 31, 2012). "Mac DeMarco: 2". Pitchfork. Retrieved 24 November 2012.
- ^ a b c d Pattison, Louis (October 15, 2012). . NME. Archived from the original on October 20, 2012. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ "Mac DeMarco - What's In My Bag?". YouTube. Retrieved 12 March 2015.
- ^ "2 by Mac DeMarco reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved December 23, 2019.
- ^ "Reviews for 2 by Mac DeMarco". Metacritic. Retrieved April 7, 2014.
- ^ Thomas, Fred. "2 – Mac DeMarco". AllMusic. Retrieved July 20, 2015.
- ^ Winkie, Luke (March 15, 2013). "Mac DeMarco: 2 (Captured Tracks)". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ a b Hann, Michael (October 18, 2012). "Mac DeMarco: 2 – review". The Guardian. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ Lindsay, Cam (October 17, 2012). "Mac DeMarco: 2". Exclaim!. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ Young, Martyn (October 22, 2012). "Mac DeMarco – 2". MusicOMH. Retrieved October 20, 2018.
- ^ Frankel, Eddy. "Mac DeMarco – '2' album review". Time Out. Retrieved November 26, 2012.
- ^ "Mac DeMarco: 2". Uncut (187): 69. December 2012.
- ^ "The Top 50 Albums of 2012". Pitchfork. December 20, 2012. p. 1. Retrieved December 26, 2012.
- ^ "Polaris Music Prize Unveils 2013 Long List" 2013-06-18 at the Wayback Machine. Exclaim!, June 13, 2012.
- ^ "The 100 Best Albums of the Decade So Far (2010–2014)". Pitchfork. August 19, 2014. p. 2. Retrieved September 25, 2014.
- ^ "The 200 Best Albums of the 2010s". Pitchfork. 8 October 2019. Retrieved 9 October 2019.
- ^ "Mac DeMarco Chart History (Heatseekers Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved April 1, 2014.