Declan McKenna is a British alternative musician, whose music I am obsessed with. On September 4, he released his newest album titled Zeros. McKenna said that the album is about disasters in the world, and follows a character named Daniel. I have probably listened to this album 40 times through already and I am not bored yet – there are new things to discover in each song. Oh, and btw, the picture for my article is an accurate representation of me listening to the album for the first time. Here is a ranking of all of the songs off of Zeros.
1. You Better Believe!!!
The sound of this song is so bright and optomistic, despite some of the pessimistic lyrics. I want to dance to this song everytime it comes on, and I find something new in the song everytime I listen to it – whether that be musicalities or lyrical meaning.
2. Daniel, You’re Still a Child
This song sounds like something that could have came out of the late 1970s – early 1980s. It is so groovy, and it features interesting sound queues that you wouldn’t expect. I interpret the song as Daniel acting childishly, getting himself into many bad situations, and yet he doesn’t learn to stop.
3. Be an Astronaut
This song is so beautiful. It’s a journey from start to finish, with many different vibes throughout. It’s very late-age Beatles. I could listen to this song for hours on end, and I would still want to hear it again.
4. Rapture
It’s so weird. And I love it. That’s it, that’s all I have to say for that one.
5. The Key to Life on Earth
This is a song I love to sing at the top of my lungs. The lyrics are relatable and it is a type of song that you would expect someone to sing on a car-ride with windows down. The pain in Declan’s voice is so apparent and you can feel it. Also, the music video is interesting, and features the main actor from “The End of the F*****g World”.
6. Emily
Emily is such a groovy song, and it reminds me of a lot of other British bands like The Beatles or The Who. The beginning and the end of the song features guitar, with a middle consisting of electronic sounds, it reminds me a lot of A Day in the Life by the Beatles.
7. Beautiful Faces
Being the first pre-release of this album, Beautiful Faces has been a favorite since the beginning, but the newest additions bring it down the list. This song has the most alternative-rock sound to it, featuring a small bit of an electronic sound.
8. Twice Your Size
This song has a modern folk rock vibe to it, and all I can really say is it is a vibe and it is growing on me quickly.
9. Sagittarius A*
This song would be in a coming-of-age movie for sure. It reminds me of some of the songs from Perks of Being a Wallflower or Edge of Seventeen. I find new parts of the song that I like every time I listen to it.
10. Eventually, Darling
This song is a great closer to the album. Not my particular favorite to listen to, but you can tell a lot of work went into producing this song. It’s pretty calm compared to the other songs on the album.
I really enjoy listening to this entire album, along with all of Declan’s other work. I strongly recommend giving it a listen for yourself, and if you like it I would recommend listening to his full discography.