Albums: Declan McKenna What Happened To The Beach

Declan McKenna may only be 25, but it's been nearly a decade since he started making waves in the music press following his selection as Glastonbury's Emerging Talent winner. Since then, he has gone on to release two critically acclaimed studio albums and win over a legion of very loyal fans.

Having not rushed the release or recorded either of his previous albums, it is little surprise that it has been 4 years since Zeros and the arrival of his third studio album, What Happened To The Beach? And the big question on everyone's lips is whether it was worth the long wait.

The simple answer is yes. McKenna was hailed in his mid-teens as the voice of his generation. That has not changed as he reaches his mid-20s. His sound has simply become more accomplished and polished, while his lyrics have lost none of their playful insight.

With a more dreamy feel than its predecessors, McKenna is clearly enjoying himself on his third record and manages to take challenging subjects and turn them into veritable earworms.

The lead single, Symphathy, is joined by Mezzanine and The Phantom Buzz (Kick In) as album highlights and is destined to become classics in his back catalogue.