Declan McKenna – Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine Review

Plenty works for Declan McKenna, who appears to have ditched instrumental or musical gimmicks and instead procured a metal detector. Not quite scaling the beaches of Scarborough, the promising musical artist that is McKenna still feels on the fringe despite holding his own and being consistent enough to enjoy a few favourable festival slots. McKenna has already charmed and people will be more than aware of Brazil, his song, not the country. Either way he has made a name for himself and whether he manages to mount the lofty horrors of exceeding expectations there is yet to be seen. Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine, a neat EP collection of his What Happened to the Beach? singles so far, is another go at cracking the hit pop-adjacent market. A hell of a go, to his credit.  

Listen in then, with bleary eyes and barely working ears, to this latest number from McKenna. The opening, title track is a nice, light and loose experience which firms up the spectacle of po-adjacent sparkles McKenna hopes to rely on. Rightly so. It sounds funk-oriented and crucially fun as it skirts the drain of the charts. It is not competition which guides McKenna on but the creative process and to hear him lean back into music and moments of influence as easily as this is a welcome return for the ZEROES singer. Spaced-out processes and the hole in the brain are an all too familiar feeling for those McKenna listeners and those just stepping into the midst of his synth-like pop efforts.  

Heavier focus on the bass and percussion which affords a neat trip beat on Elevator Hum is planted firmly and gives McKenna a chance to explore his vocals and lyrics. It does this more than Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine, but in this sacrifices the unique charms and instead provides a production buffet of familiar tones and sounds. Bits of brass keep it alive and charm their way into the tweeting birds and third track Nothing Works. A bit of optimism there, McKenna. This EP works nicely, as a prelude to the main course of What Happened to the Beach?. This is the aim, after all. Nothing Works is likely the best slice of this four-track piece, though it may be because it precedes the Mario Party brass of Sympathy. 

No feeling of pity toward McKenna here though, and you can hear why rather quickly with Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine. Placid in parts but ultimately the goal of jolly pop is achieved, and he maintains it well enough. There is a sense of pride and achievement stuffed into smaller pockets of this one and though they sound different from the previous outings McKenna has charted, they do not sound better. Make off with Nothing Works and run for the hills – but return soon as the charming and upbeat sentiments found throughout are delayed and hit back on by McKenna, who selects this mood to chart more of the same in future. He does not need to, though there it is. Mulholland’s Dinner and Wine is good for those who are desperate to hear what comes next.