Few bands manage to last long enough to make five albums. Fewer still manage to make five albums in less than 10 years. Never ones to follow the crowd, that’s exactly what Dutch Uncles have achieved with the release of ‘Big Balloon.’ It’s ain’t half bad, either.
On this latest full length, the art-rockers have ditched their beloved marimbas for a panoply of angular guitars and pneumatic basslines, a conscious decision induced by the departure of guitarist Daniel Spedding in 2015. Almost all of the nine tracks employ some aspect of this ‘heavier’ direction, which does well to rid the record of the slight sense of inertia felt on Dutch Uncles’ previous release, ‘O Shudder.’
The track that perhaps best incorporates these elements is the playful Combo Box. It’s a rather brilliant blend of ‘Low’-era Bowie and Josh Homme riffage, which is just as weird and wonderful as it sounds. Vocalist Duncan Wallis also drops in lyrics about fried chicken, just in case the track wasn’t already quirky enough.
The themes on this record differ from the band’s previous release, too. Whereas ‘O Shudder’ plunged itself into the world of sex and suburban mundanity, ‘Big Balloon’ deals with austerity cuts, paranoia and loneliness, a topical variety drawn from the desire to write about more timely issues.
Combined with Wallis’ fragile yet melodic vocal delivery - which always sounds like he’s doing very well to control a mild panic attack - each track feels earnest and well thought-out, even if the frontman could attack certain songs with a little more bite.
But make no mistake, although the Uncles’ usual idiosyncrasies - both lyrical and instrumental - aren’t quite front and centre on ‘Big Balloon’, they’re still very much present. Off-kilter keys and strings dominate the slower Achameleon, for example, whereas Oh Yeah and Sink offer up a smorgasbord of synths and digital effects that can only be described as delightfully kitsch. These tracks mostly hit the mark, even if the likes of the former have a tendency to evoke the band’s more obtuse beginnings
Despite a few small wobbles here and there, ‘Big Balloon’ is further proof that the quality of Dutch Uncles’ work is equal to its quantity. Granted, it’s not going to win them many new fans - it’s simply too obscure to garner significant mainstream appeal - but it certainly adds credence to the idea that they are a band who know what they’re doing.
Dutch Uncles Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Wed March 01 2017 - EDINBURGH Electric Circus
Thu March 02 2017 - NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Cluny
Fri March 03 2017 - LEEDS Wardrobe
Sat March 04 2017 - NOTTINGHAM Bodega Social Club
Mon March 06 2017 - BIRMINGHAM Hare And Hounds
Tue March 07 2017 - SHEFFIELD Plug, The
Wed March 08 2017 - OXFORD O2 Academy Oxford
Thu March 09 2017 - BRISTOL Fleece
Sat March 11 2017 - BRIGHTON Haunt
Sun March 12 2017 - SOUTHAMPTON Talking Heads
Mon March 13 2017 - LONDON Village Underground
Wed March 15 2017 - MANCHESTER Dancehouse Theatre
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