Columbia Schallplatten & CDs

Review: There's something unarguably pure about Declan McKenna's 'Zeros'. It's the kind of honest album you would hope to get from someone whose big break came from the grass roots friendly Emerging Talent Competition at Glastonbury Festival in 2015, a year after his anti-FIFA World Cup protest song, 'Brazil', caused an online stir.

Now signed with the not-so-small fry Colombia Records, he takes the attitude of that earlier work, and the expert folk-rock songcraft, and scales up to fittingly stadium-filling proportions. Tracks like "Twice Your Size" showcase the artist's more ferocious, riff-heavy side, while the upbeat opener "You Better Believe" is a smile-inducing slice of sharp indie pop, "Emily" reveals a penchant for funky, psyche-tinged tones and efforts such as "Sagittarius A" offer breezy, playful sing-along moments.

Review: Declan McKenna returns with his third studio album What Happened To The Beach? and he manages to be both ambitious and restrained throughout. It is a hugely personal record that finds him tapping into an all-new creative language that allows him to dissect his sense of self while also encouraging anyone else to take more confidence in their own identities. There are many gorgeous moments here from the subtle brass and loose grooves of 'Mezzanine' to warming choruses on 'Elevator Hum.' They all make for an album that plots a real narrative journey with elements that are familiar to all along the way.