On July 21, 2017, 18-year-old Declan Mckenna published his first album, What Do You Think of the Car?. The namesake for the title comes from an audio snippet at the beginning of his single, Humongous, from a home-movie where Mckenna’s sister asks him that question. He replies that he thinks it’s “really good,” and that he is about to sing his new album, and the album dives in.

Throughout the album, Mckenna presents himself as a spokesperson of his generation, focusing on political issues, but in a very subliminal way. Most first time listeners do not even realize that these songs are based on politics. They are more like to interpret the songs as being about personal relationships, even though very few of the songs are.

Even though these covert political messages are significant, having veiled metaphors instead of saying things outright improves the album because listeners can interpret the songs to mean what they want to hear. Overall, What Do You Think of the Car? is an impressive album and worthy of all the praise it is receiving and more, with tracks like Brazil and Isombard that leave a lasting effect on listeners for days to come.