ALBUM REVIEW: DECLAN MCKENNA – WHAT HAPPENED TO THE BEACH

Indie-rocker Declan McKenna provides eclectic enjoyment with his third album, “What Happened To The Beach?”

Declan McKenna has quickly become a huge name in music. From electric live performances, to poignant political lyricism, McKenna is a unique talent in a world of manufactured music. Following on from 2020 album “Zeros” and 2017 album “What Do You Think About The Car?” it was exciting seeing if he would continue with his Bowie-esque sound and lively lyrics or if he’d try a new sound entirely. This album is whimsically weird, and wonderfully wacky. It is like nothing else I’ve heard.

This 12 track record sees McKenna relish in self-reflection and transport listeners on a peculiar yet poignant journey. Normally a review like this would follow the album in a somewhat chronological order, but I think it’s intriguing to look at the final moments of this album first. ‘Honest Test’, ‘It’s An Act’, ‘Mezzanine’ and ‘4 More Years’ follow a typically steady momentum, providing easy listening and a head-nodding or foot-tapping tempo. It is the calm after the storm and is the part of the album that is easiest to get lost in.

A common theme with a lot of the tracks in this album is that most will sound incredible live. Tracks I’d be intrigued to hear live include ‘I Write The News’, ‘Nothing Works’ and ‘Sympathy’. The latter two are my top picks from the record. ‘Sympathy’ is captivating and full of mesmerising notions and sounds. The lyric from this track, “if you don’t speak your thoughts aloud, you just feel them forever”, perfectly summarises the album. McKenna speaks his mind and thoughts throughout the album, especially in ‘Nothing Works’.

‘Nothing Works’ discusses the temporary concept of a music career and McKenna’s observations having been in the industry for a number of years now. He shares his frustrations of being an up-and-coming artist but now that he’s made a name for himself through his driving determination, it seems as though he is now navigating the industry himself. “That’s the conversation to be had” is a lyric from ‘Nothing Works’ that also ties in with the discussion being had in ‘Sympathy’.

With the rest of his record, McKenna provides an abstract atmosphere that has made for more unique listening, for me anyway, than any other album. “What Happened To The Beach?” incorporates the sounds of many different artists and bands with several styles. ‘The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)’ has a Status Quo sound. This track in particular is very loud but still includes elements that gives it Declan McKenna’s infectiously indie sound.

As well as Status Quo, there are elements of 80s acts like Human League and David Bowie fused together too. Part of the weird description comes into play with an air of the Rocky Horror Picture Show, if you’ve seen this then you’ll know exactly what I mean. This accumulation of aspects gives an almost Frankenstein fusion, but in the most positive way possible. It merges together concepts that most people would refrain from putting together but as we’ve seen with his previous work, McKenna doesn’t shy away from the most bizarre of ideas. From the light airy sounds of intro song ‘Wobble’ and single ‘Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine’ to tracks like ‘Breath Of Life’ and ‘Elevator Hum’ with so much going on simultaneously, there will be a song that caters for whatever you listen to. With such varied sounds throughout the record and a range of styles and influences, “What Happened To The Beach?” is an album for everyone. Each listener will find a track that speaks to them and provides intriguing listening time and time again.

“What Happened to the Beach?” is available to stream on Spotify.