Declan McKenna What Happened to the Beach review
On Friday, February 9, Declan McKenna released their third album What Happened to the Beach? It represents the culmination of their musical talent, closer to the Beatles’ White Album than the jungles of rocking noise that made up their previous projects. WHB is a solid forty minutes long, on the short end for a full LP, but it rolls and pulses like something alive, making the whole listening session a wild ride.
I think the album comes into its own with innovative sounds and unmatched lyricality. Tracks like ‘I Write the News,’ ‘Mulhollands Dinner and Wine,’ and ‘Nothing Works’ show off remarkable wordplay and uniqueness. ‘I Write the News’ seems to follow a deal for what some might call chocolate in Kensington. It’s got an incredible twist in the middle, something that comes right out of left field but keeps you nodding along the whole time. The dynamism of this track is rather emblematic of the album as a whole. Declan is constantly amping up the sound in new and unexpected ways; for a third album this is leaps and bounds beyond his earlier oeuvre. It’s psychedelic and real far out. ‘Mulhollands Dinner and Wine’ is the best track on the album and one of the best vibes songs since, well, probably the White Album. It gets down to the heart of being a twenty-something with brevity, wit, and lightness. Never punching down, it’s a song that seems to joke about the listeners. The sort of machismo of youth feels relatable with lines like “I’m fucking dangerous I get what I want.” The music video is incredible, with Declan and an old man dancing around town to lines like, “I’m not satisfied with what I want.” ‘Nothing Works’ opens with the incredible line “What’s the point, muffin?” Which is then rhymed with runnin’ in an amazing turn of fate. I like this song because wordplay along with affect makes something that seems to unwind in the ear like a rose in the mouth. I also think the synthy snap track in the back is used to great avail – compare it to the detestable clap tracks dominating country radio and you’ll see that this is a leap forward in the space.
‘Breath of Light’ is a completely unique song. I’ve never heard anything like this and it is utterly fascinating in its composition and the tricks it pulls with noise. If you want to visit a whole new sonic landscape, where people on roller coasters whip by your right ear and a funky keyboard plucks across an empty void of noise then turn this on. “I’m a cheesecake junkie in constant grief/ Would you catch me in the centre of your cosmic sin?” That’s just as cool as it gets, folx, who here amongst us? I really enjoy the various production styles on this album. It makes it a cohesive LP but one with a lot of versatility and replayability.
My method when reviewing these things is to give it 10 listens straight through before I even try to think about the music. At least half of those are on my Bose’s so I can appreciate the actual production, but this album honestly comes into its own in the car going down the road loud as hell with you and your buds singing along. Declan McKenna is seemingly always doing some easy listening, and I mean that as a compliment, and with this record it’s the kinda stuff you can throw on and vibe to, no matter what’s happening. Sock’s dog got loose and you're driving up and down Hawthorne yelling “Stanky Leg!” hoping it didn't get run over? Crank this. You're heading over to the Pearl to have a banana marg and walk around before you go see a play? Try ‘Honest Test.’ You’re kicking it with this cool babe and trying to figure out if things will work out between you? ‘Phantom Buzz,’ but genuinely. This album is the foxtrot, I think it’s ideal for intimate settings. It’s as much sitting-alone music as it is something you surreptitiously throw on to show off. Listenability, playability, versatility, it’s a 9. Good music all around. Use case, it’s like a 2. You could party rock to any number of tracks on here, but you’re gonna feel it best on a real private occasion. So I give it a 2.95 for good measure.