Review: Declan McKenna – Isombard (2016)

Declan McKenna, last year’s winner of the Emerging Talent of the Year award at Glastonbury’s 2015 festival, has returned with his latest single, Isombard.

His most notable success so far comes in the shape of the self-released single, Brazil, which came out at the back end of last year. Since then he has been signed to Columbia Records and appears to be going from strength-to-strength.

And now he brings us Isombard, a fun, yet mature song for someone who is 17. The melody takes a very nostalgic effect on me. It takes me back to the summer of 2008 when he was 9, and I was 15. It takes me back to the days where I would see smaller bands such as Late of the Pier and Good Shoes at small venues, just bringing fun to the forefront.

The vocals have a certain Julian Casablancas vibe to it, nonchalant but sharp, and very suited to the music.

Young Declan is currently touring the UK with breakout band of the summer, Blossoms, with a few more shows coming up at the end of September. Then he is on his own for a headline show at the famous Nambucca in Holloway Road in London on the 6^th October.

It has recently been announced that McKenna will be appearing on Later with Jools Holland in the coming weeks, be sure to look out for that and see for yourself how promising this new talent is.