When you break onto the scene with a single written at the age of just 16 it can be hard to avoid being tethered to the 'young talent' label for a long period of your musical career. However, Declan Mckenna has always danced between a youthful playfulness and a mature take on song structure and vocal delivery. His new album 'Zeros' demonstrates this maturity. The album flows unnaturally yet still cohesively, bursting with cosmic energy and a Bowie like extravagance, both lyrically and musically. Although I love both his 2017 debut and his recent follow up, it feels that there is more of a raw passion on this new record. This can be best observed in his recent live studio performances for Vevo.
This 3 track set showcases just how deep he dives inside his music when performing. The instrumental breakdown in the last minute of 'Rapture' demonstrates both technical ability and a true love for live performance. You can see in the video above how he has began to grow out of his bedroom-pop seclusion and now feels at home with a band around him that he can play off and utilise to his full advantage. Yet, if it is truly this full and energy that you are after then head to the manic breakdown of his pre-album single 'British Bombs'. Together with his performance of album opener 'You Better Believe!!!' this live showcase is packed full of energy and is the perfect escape to indulge in the beauty of live music, even just for a short while.
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