Album Review: Declan McKenna’s ‘What Happened to the Beach’ is a Magical Journey Full of Cosmic Wonder

Declan McKenna’s third project What Happened to the Beach explores the artist’s inner cosmonaut in a stunning, cosmic soundscape.

Written by Rachel Thomas

Photo courtesy of Henry Pearce

What Happened to the Beach is Declan McKenna’s long-awaited third studio album, a project that comes three and a half years after the acclaimed album Zeros and seven years after his debut, What Do You Think About the Car? McKenna previously won accolades for his songwriting, being one of the youngest songwriters to emerge from Glastonbury Festival’s Emerging Talent Competition. Touted for the prolific “Brazil,” McKenna has long since stretched his wings away from the song he wrote when he was just 15 years old, even though it remains an ever-present part of his acclaim.

In Paste Magazine’s interview with the indie star, McKenna describes his creative process of moving away from a strict regime and instead focusing on a more creative flow. McKenna reiterated that this album is about getting to know his creative process better, with previous albums Zeros and What Happened to the Car? being constrained projects rather than limitless ones.McKenna’s environment greatly affected both albums, with What Happened to the Car? coming from a place of teenage unrest.

“WOBBLE” immediately sets the album’s tone, vibrating with hazy, enigmatic energy. “WOBBLE” sets the acoustic underlay for the rest of the album, with the guitar as a focal point on almost every song. The bass shines through most of the track, with a short bass line segwaying out the song with beachy riffs.

“Elevator Hum” is an airy, beautiful call to McKenna’s inner strength. Lyrics like “Some boys grow in shame / don’t play that game / cause I want you to believe you’re just like me” nod to McKenna’s rejection of traditional masculinity, a subject that has grazed previous records’ songs like “Paracetamol” and “Make Me Your Queen.” The sci-fi, alien-esc atmosphere of the song feels like a call to another world entirely while still rooted in earthly messages.

“Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine” begins with an intense synth beat before swaying into an addicting melody. The cheeky lyrics “I got a boring apartment and all of the drugs / I’m fucking dangerous, I get what I want” feel almost unbelievable from McKenna’s voice, which still features a youthful quality without being callow. An interweaving acoustic guitar section undercuts the potency of the synthesizer, making the song light, airy, and subtle without overplaying any of its intrinsic synth elements.

“I Write The News” vaguely sounds like a Beatles vault track à la “Norwegian Wood” before switching to a more experimental track with ambient sounds. Playing with the idea of debate and discourse, the track has two identities: the acoustic-focused starter and the whispery, electronic track closer. The acoustic beginning sets an expectation of a relatively unsaturated track, a divide between “Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine” and “Sympathy.” That expectation is ripped away as the track becomes more experimental and devoid of its original context, with Mckenna singing more assertively, “I write the news.” This combination creates two song versions, with elements of the more laidback acoustic beginning and more assertive electronic closer combined at the end.

The immediate switch between “I Write The News,” an arguably pessimistic song, and “Sympathy,” where McKenna is at his most enthusiastic, is another dynamic element of the intriguing world he creates. Throughout this record, McKenna seems to thrive on matching equal measures of harmony with unusual, disjointed riffs to create a balance between the shiny disposition of the album and the slightly darker, cosmic underbelly. For every “I Write The News,” there’s a well-positioned “Sympathy” that re-captures the audience in a new, exciting way.

“Sympathy” is an exceptionally vibrant song with bass trumpets, blaring organs, and an inescapable personality. The sound forms a carnival atmosphere, with flutes, synthesizers, and hammed-up guitar strums developing a groove that infects and leads various percussive movements. Grandiose energy infects “Sympathy,” which feels hammed up by a brash, underlying sense of optimism. The outro of the song features a faded out McKenna slowly singing “Sympathy's gonna come around / You don’t need to be clever” a combination of the repeated lyrics scattered across the track. The song also nods to the competitive nature of society through its lyrics, with McKenna singing, “Good-goodness me, all you talk about /  Is how you'll beat one another,” pushing a message of peace and harmony.

“Nothing Works” marks a turn toward heavier bass and settings on the guitar amp, with McKenna singing, “What’s the point running? / Not like I’m up and coming anymore,” a condemnation that displays his sense of turmoil in the music industry. Along with the album’s heavy themes of self-actualization, McKenna comments directly on his relationship with songwriting and his audience through this song.

Photo courtesy of Tomplicated Records

The song slowly shifts from its foggier sound, introducing lighter instrumental elements. As McKenna slips into self-doubt on the bridge, repeating: “Nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing, nothing / nothing, nothing, nothing, works.” the song breaks down, freeing itself from the previous key, signifying a level of acceptance. With this key change, “Nothing Works” feels like a commentary on McKenna's condemnation of his songwriting. That acceptance comes when he realizes that even though “Nothing Works,” he still can make music anyway. As the song ends, McKenna’s voice becomes more and more faint. “Nothing Works” slowly and symbolically ends with “I wrote the song / and you didn’t,” cutting off the rest of the lyric.

“The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)” follows the time-honored tradition of writing a song about getting high, with lyrics “I got the phantom buzz / I suck it in, out, ah,” alluding to Mckenna smoking a joint. On this record, McKenna references to marijuana parallel the album’s hazier sound. “Mulholland's Dinner and Wine” is less outwardly explicit than “The Phantom Buzz (Kick In)” but the record takes a direct focus on recreational drug use, potentially as a way of exploring the ways it can benefit creativity. The references further compare to The Beatles and their exploration of sound and drug use. The track leans into a more rock-heavy sound like “Nothing Works,” using fuzzier guitar settings and contrasting its predecessors, “It Takes 4” and “Honest Test.” 

One of the crowning achievements of What Happened to the Beach is its ability to capture and formulate a singular, sunny identity. The album is entirely cohesive, with each track sequencing to match one another in energy while still uniquely exploring different sounds. The cosmic, otherworldly elements of the sound are balanced by guitar-pop and acoustic strums.

Throughout this record, McKenna has an ambiance of happiness, detaching himself from the music industry's rigid expectations and making something better for it. That tonal atmosphere reverberates through every sound or pluck of a guitar string and vibrates with a sense of fulfillment and joy. What Happened to the Beach is an opulent, vivacious record filled with enigmatic, charming sounds. The sound production greatly improves on previous projects, What Happened to the Car? and Zeros, adding a more sonically intriguing atmosphere on almost every track. The sci-fi, dystopian elements are greater than ever before, alongside McKenna’s classic Pop-Rock sound. Almost every track has a more tangential focus, with a new energy that shows McKenna is willing to explore without being constrained or imprisoned. Somehow, even with many different sonic expressions, the album feels complete. While some may prefer the sound of previous albums, What Happened to the Beach? fulfills itself in a new, exciting way.

Leading the indie-pop genre, McKenna has crafted a genuinely exquisite album worthy of accolades. The departure from his previous two albums and leaning into the grandiose qualities of his sound immensely helped McKenna, making this glamorous album a tried-and-true call to other stars while remaining wholly unique.