I feel kind of like a fool that I didn’t realize Declan McKenna’s new album came out this past weekend! Based off two strong singles, I was really excited to hear the rest of What Happened to the Beach?! And to my delight, it was just as good as I’d hoped!
There were plenty of strong songs off this album, though I don’t know that any of them quite live up to greatness of “Nothing Works.” While sounding fresh and new, McKenna managed to deliver something familiar sounding that makes me dance in my car every time I listen to it. Similarly, “Sympathy” is another great track that never gets old no matter how many times I’ve played it so far. The end of that song is something magical and it was even better experiencing it liv.
I think most of the rest of the album appealed to me so much because it sounded as if Arcade Fire, MGMT, Beck, and the Arctic Monkeys got together to make an album with Josh Homme’s flair. Take a second to let all those sounds sink in and try to imagine what you’d get. Well, lucky for you, you don’t have to. Just go and listen to this new album! I specifically felt like I was listening to MGMT in songs like “Wobble” and “Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine,” though the former had a bit of a 90s flair to it. “Honest Test,” though not one of my favorites, also embodied MGMT’s sound, as if they were playing to a night club trying to wrap up the evening for folks who maybe did some drugs earlier. Very cool.
Other songs that I really liked off the album included “Elevator Hum,” which I think just describes how it made me feel perfectly, “I Write the News,” and “The Phantom Buzz (Kick-In).” Each of these songs not only sounded great, but the lyrics were truly genius. Specifically the lyrics in “I Write the News.” McKenna has made it clear over the years that he’s not going to be shy about criticizing his government over in good old England, and he doesn’t shy away from it here. The style of that song also reminds me of something that Tom Petty could have put out, so who knows, maybe he’ll find himself a new audience with this record.
The rest of the tracks off the record came off just alright to me. They were fine to listen to, though I don’t anticipate cycling them through any more than I already have. With that being said, all of the rest of these songs reminded me a lot of Arcade Fire. More specifically, their sound from the Neon Bible era. That’s nothing to sneeze at, but they still just didn’t quite do the trick for me. No bad track in the bunch, though. In fact, I’d be surprised if “Mezzanine” doesn’t make it into future live sets, as all I could do was picture his crowds dancing mellowly to this song from start to finish.
Overall, a very strong effort for McKenna who still has lightyears left for him in the music business. If he keeps putting out stuff like this, I imagine I’ll be a fan for life.