Indie meets country on Declan McKenna’s ‘My House’

After the release of his second studio album ‘Zeros’ in 2020, Declan McKenna has returned with his latest single ‘My House’, which sees the experimental indie star relate to his audience in the pandemic-inspired track.

Known mostly for his hit single ‘Brazil’, which references the corruption in football around the time of the 2014 World Cup, McKenna is not one to shy away from tackling topical issues in his music, and ‘My House’ is no exception. 

Aptly released just over a year after the start of the pandemic, it is a light-hearted reflection on the time we have spent lacking face to face interaction, as McKenna sings ‘’I can only get out of here once today’’, drawing parallels to the stay-at-home message issued to those in England, the singer’s home country. 

It was a time when many felt trapped in their hometowns, and McKenna explores the differences between city and rural living in the lyricism, stating a shared feeling that ‘’you could run a mile or you could stay for good’’, as the pandemic was truly a time of reflection for many on whether they were happy in their lives.

 

Perhaps these motifs are what inspired the track’s country-esque production. Jangling keys and a standalone guitar open the song, with this repetitive guitar loop defining the track as the first verse crescendos to a slew of instrumentation and production in the chorus. Paired with the single artwork of an idealistic secluded house, the homegrown feel of the track leads to a feeling that this is the perfect song to be sung on a porch step with loved ones, capturing the heartfelt undertones of its message.

 

The Britishness of McKenna’s vocals, evidenced in his discography thus far, doesn’t go amiss here, and neither do his personal touches to the music. The inclusion of a spoken message of ‘’pleasure chatting with you this morning, have a nice day’’ in the outro, after the traditional indie-synth interlude which you could find yourself dancing along to, draws parallels to similar inclusions on the singer’s debut album ‘What Do You Think About The Car?’, which also included voice messages. With ‘My House’ being a relatable and memorable return to the indie scene, it will be interesting to see whether the singer sticks to these motifs in his upcoming releases.

 

 

 

Amrit Virdi

Twitter - @_amritvirdi

Instagram - @thevinylwriter

Image: My House Single Artwork