What Do You Think About the Car?

## Singles

1. "Brazil"
Released: 4 December 2014
2. "Paracetamol"
Released: 19 November 2015
3. "Bethlehem"
Released: 20 May 2016
4. "Isombard"
Released: 2 September 2016
5. "The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home"
Released: 11 January 2017
6. "Humongous"
Released: 9 June 2017
7. "Why Do You Feel So Down"
Released: 10 November 2017

***What Do You Think About the Car?*** is the third studio album and debut major-label album by Declan McKenna. It was released worldwide on 21 July 2017 through Columbia Records.

The album title is based on a personal anecdote, a home video from Declan’s own childhood where his sister can be heard asking this very question, to which we hear his response, "and now I’m going to sing my new album".

## Background

In 2015, at the age of 16, Declan won the Glastonbury Festival's Emerging Talent Competition, and started writing songs for the album soon after, while still in school. Writing went on for the next year. Declan says:

> There were a lot of changes, and I think you can hear that within some of the songs on the record. Quite a big part of the album is about change and being confused.
>
>

He composed most of the album in his bedroom, with the exception of "Listen to Your Friends".

## Title

When Declan was four years old, his family got a new Toyota Previa. In a home video that captured the moment, Declan's sister asks, "Dec, what do you think about the car?" to which he replies, "It's really good, and now I'm going to sing my new album."

The album's opening song, "Humongous" has the audio clip of the exchange as its intro.

## Chart performance

The album experienced moderate chart success in Belgium, Ireland, Japan, Scotland, and the United Kingdom. In Japan, it debuted and peaked at number 241, and in Belgium at number 130. In Ireland, Scotland, and the United Kingdom, the album entered the top 30s, peaking at 26, 8, and 11 respectively.

## Track listing

### Notes

* "Humongous" features an intro that is not present in the single version.
* "The Kids Don't Wanna Come Home" features an outro that is not present in the single version.
* "Why Do You Feel So Down" has also been written as "Why Do You Feel So Down?", including on physical track lists and in the official music video.
* "Paracetamol" has slightly different production from the single version.

### Outtakes

* "Howl" was rejected for being "a bit too power pop".
* "Midwest" and "Ophelia" were each produced as instrumental demos in 2016, possibly for this album. The latter song has since been finished and was included on *Zeros* as "Eventually, Darling".
* "Through My Teeth" was partially written in 2016, possibly for this album.
* A studio version of "Excitement" was recorded, but rejected in favor of a self-produced demo.
* An unknown song, previewed in a Pirate Radio livestream, was likely intended for this album.
* Declan wrote "a couple" unfinished songs with Rostam during the same sessions as "Listen to Your Friends".

## References

1. ↑ https://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/pop/7872885/declan-mckenna-what-do-you-think-about-the-car-interview
2. ↑ https://music.apple.com/us/album/what-do-you-think-about-the-car/1208110183
3. ↑ https://www.kinokuniya.co.jp/f/dsg-10-4547366301052
4. ↑ https://www.discogs.com/release/10601570-Declan-McKenna-What-Do-You-Think-About-The-Car
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 https://archive.org/details/declan-mckenna-what-do-you-think-about-the-car-limited-edition-zine-pdf/
6. ↑ https://soundcloud.com/deccoooo/ophelia
7. ↑ https://twitter.com/DeclanMcKenna/status/1302655572383330304
8. ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/BJs1VlvjF2x/

## Navigation

 Bonus tracks | "Excitement" (Demo) • "Brew" (Live at The Garage) • "Basic" (Live at The Garage) • "Tin Soldier Man"