What Do You Think About the Car?

Declan McKenna was still a teenager when he made What Do You Think About the Car? and, accordingly, his debut album crackles with youthful exuberance. You can hear it in McKenna’s breezy delivery and the ease of his songcraft, the way in which the uplifting indie-rock of “Brazil” and the synth-pop stomp of “Bethlehem” loosely drip in hypnotic melodies. Scratch beneath the surface, though, and you’ll find an artist tackling the big issues with a rare lightness of touch, the album’s themes touching on corruption, LGBTQ+ issues, teenage suicide, and more. What Do You Think About the Car? introduces a bold, brilliant songwriting talent.