The disjointed, alternative sound of Dutch Uncles certainly won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but for lovers of quasi-artrock and unpredictable beats, their latest album may be ideal. The arty men hailing from Stockport bring their album Out of Touch in the Wild to the public on the 14th January, and they have every reason to be successful with it, after their arguably underappreciated efforts of their debut eponymous album and second album Cadenza.
Many of the new tracks reflect the more polished style from their previous albums. New track ‘Fester’ epitomises this, with its atypical beat and off-kilter percussive sounds making for interesting listening. Although the album is perhaps not a record particularly apt for either partying or quiet listening, it certainly grabs your attention and demands some sort of awareness of the band’s nonconforming musical processes. Frontman and lead vocalist Duncan Wallis possesses a very distinctive voice – high-pitched, soft and perhaps particularly fitting to the type of music with its unique timbre. Despite its unusual cadences, though, it is a voice which it is difficult not to like.
Another notable track from the album is the upbeat ‘Flexxin’. Swirling violins and tinkling instruments accompany their typical off-kilter beats and again demonstrate their more polished sounds. Certainly, it appears the band have paid more attention to the final outcome of this album, all the tracks interweaving to create a more whole album, as none of the tracks fall down in comparison to the others. If anything, the song Dutch Uncles chose to release first off this album, ‘Fester’, is one of the least musically interesting, and just a taster of what musical experiments you will encounter in the rest of the record.
With a mammoth tour coming up for the band and with their previous track record supporting Wild Beasts and playing numerous major festivals, 2013 may be the year Dutch Uncles the recognition they deserve.