What Do You Think About the Car?
by Declan McKenna
  • Record Label: Columbia
  • Release Date: Jul 21, 2017
Metascore
76

Generally favorable reviews - based on 9 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 9
  2. Mixed: 3 out of 9
  3. Negative: 0 out of 9
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  1. The Line of Best Fit
    Jul 20, 2017
    85
    Smart, engaging lyrics are a widespread and continual theme on McKenna’s initial offering.
  2. DIY Magazine
    Jul 21, 2017
    80
    While a very strong album What Do You Think About The Car? definitely is, it’s impossible to extricate it from the songwriter himself.
  3. Q Magazine
    Jul 20, 2017
    80
    As twinkly-toed as debuts come. [Aug 2017, p.109]
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  5. New Musical Express (NME)
    Jul 20, 2017
    80
    To all intents and purposes McKenna is a teen breakout star, but describing him that way feels reductive after listening to his debut, on which he proves himself a serious lyricist who deserves more than to be put in a box.
  6. The Guardian
    Jul 20, 2017
    80
    They are protest songs, but sound anything but worthy or world-weary. Instead, they are sun-soaked aural fizz bombs which channel indie rock through his love of David Bowie and Abba.
  7. No Ripcord
    Jul 24, 2017
    70
    In many ways, What Do You Think… is a perfectly teenage album; it’s smart and it’s naive, it’s funny and it’s bleak, and, most importantly, it understands the appeal of pop while being frustrated at the apolitical landscape in which it exists.
  8. Clash Music
    Jul 25, 2017
    60
    For such a young talent, his lyrics are strong, but give him a few more years of life experience and they could be in a different league.
  9. The Observer (UK)
    Jul 24, 2017
    60
    The rousing Isombard is equally good, but the quality control isn’t maintained, his choruses occasionally sounding laboured. Still, there’s promise in abundance here.
  10. Pitchfork
    Aug 1, 2017
    59
    His message loses strength, in part, because he doesn’t fully commit to it.

Awards & Rankings

45
#45 Most Discussed Album of 2017

User Reviews

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User Score
8.6

Universal acclaim- based on 146 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 131 out of 146
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 146
  3. Negative: 11 out of 146
  1. xxsuckercandy
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before,Talented, brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping, spectacular, never the same, totally unique, completely not ever been done before, unafraid to reference or not reference, put it in a blender, **** on it, vomit on it, eat it, give birth to it… Full Review »
  2. CharlieGray
    Jul 21, 2017
    10
    What an incredible album, of the best indie releases of the year, a fantastic piece of work from a young talent. The lyrics are amazing andWhat an incredible album, of the best indie releases of the year, a fantastic piece of work from a young talent. The lyrics are amazing and the production is pretty good.… Full Review »
  3. Unsky
    Jul 24, 2017
    9
    Fresh and never boring, I've been listening to many of these tracks since they came out as singles and they still sound as good as when IFresh and never boring, I've been listening to many of these tracks since they came out as singles and they still sound as good as when I first heard them. An impressive work at such a young age, he wanna pass a message in every song, and I'm curious to see how this thing will develop in future projects. Personal favorites are Humongous and Brazil.… Full Review »
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