Take one listen to Declan McKenna’s third album, What Happened to the Beach?, and you’ll notice the sunshine that permeates it. If 2020’s Zeros — released midway through the pandemic — saw him exploring the highs of 70s glam rock and psychedelia, there’s a more relaxed groove on this latest record by McKenna, now 25. The title track, for instance, skips along with all the laid-back energy of a day out at its eponymous location.
It’s a natural occurrence, he explains, given that vast chunks were recorded in the sunsoaked climes of Los Angeles. “It’s got that sense of sun and freedom that you might associate with LA.”
There he teamed up with producer Gianluca Buccellati, who has previously worked with Lana Del Rey and Arlo Parks, on her Mercury Prize-winning debut album, Collapsed in Sunbeams. It is with the help of Buccellati, as he reveals, that he’s created his freest album yet.
What’s changed for you between Zeros and this, your third album?
Well, we’re not expecting a pandemic for starters! I’ve got more
control this time around, whereas the last [album] felt a bit like making the best out of the situation. We did one music video last time, just as things were getting weird, but then we went into full lockdown, and that was very intense. It was a strange time, and I’m just more excited now. There’s more excitement all round.
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