AMS album of the week 10

How many bands can say they have their own posh burger named after them? Dutch Uncles can, at least. The Godboy Burger Flexxin Out In The Wilds Of The Northern Quarter was created to honour the release of their third album, Out of Touch in the Wild. It’s a wonderfully constructed album, albeit short, as I found myself disappointed it had ended so early. I really enjoy how Dutch Uncles manage to take their eclectic influences and formulate them in such an unpretentious, easy to listen to way. There’s none of those dodgy interludes, nor those rubbish slow songs you always skip. It’s a treat for the ears, with a lot of interesting percussion such as xylophones, vibraphones and marimbas adding to the jangly pop vibe.

‘Pondage’ starts as a slow piano ballad-esque piece, until the familiar rhythmic guitars kick in. Almost as soon as it comes, though, the song finishes. I never had Dutch Uncles down as being such teases! In comes ‘Bellio’, an initial favourite of mine on first listen. Some of the more heavy synth usage can be heard on this song, with a driven grumbly rhythm section to compliment.

The album’s first single, ‘Fester’, was released in November, with an absolutely wonderful video made by director and photographer Isaac Eastgate, who has also produced excellent videos for Django Django and Egyptian Hip Hop. I urge you to check them all out as they’re some of the best videos I’ve seen in ages.

Out of Touch in the Wild is upbeat, and a real pleasure to listen to. Odd time signatures reminiscent of progressive rock still remain, with ‘Threads’ sounding heavily influenced by the likes of King Crimson and Japan.

As far as the aesthetic of the album, something I particularly enjoyed was the intriguing song names. All a bit weird and only one, two, three syllables long, but they reflect the unity and flow of the album as a whole.