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Dutch Uncles, the five year old Marple math rock group, released their first UK album Cadenza this year; two years after their first release of the German labelled album Dutch Uncle. Its complex rhythms, quirky harmonics and fresh and intelligent lyrics make their work so intriguing that it’s hard to get enough of their music.
Initial thoughts on the album were that of a cross between minimalism and punk rock. The Manchester group leads the listener straight off the beaten track with its title song ‘Cadenza’, which swings right in with a Steve Reich inspired piano riff, which is soon joined by guitarists Peter Broadhead and Daniel Spedding. Duncan Wallis’ quirky boyish vocals follow, kicking in with lyrics that are both catchy and interesting.
‘X-O’ is another of those ‘loop-it’ tunes which comprises of the catchy phrase “it always takes my breath”, interjected with the energetic and vigorous guitar riffs in-between choruses which are found with ever increasing feverishness in ‘Dressage’ and ‘Fragrant’.
In fact most of the tracks on the album make use of this minimalistic influenced riff; most noticeably found in ‘Cadenza’ and ‘Ocduc’. With the added easy-to-listen-to vocals of Wallis their tracks combine both mathematical precision and intelligence with quirky yet uplifting melodies, making their whole performance stimulating and enjoyable to listen to over and over again.
This is not to say that their whole album is based upon the mathematical implications of minimalism. There is a good deal of musical integrity in their music which is made apparent in songs such as ‘The Rub’. The track is a purely innocent and atmospheric piece which is made apparent from the offset with the use of the solitary plinking of the xylophone melody. In a word, the whole effect of this song is exquisite.
‘Dolli’ too, is insistently different and is based more upon the a capella style. Yet with the repeated vocal lines beneath the solo voice of Wallis, it is still recognisable as a Dutch Uncles tune. All in all, this is a very appealing and experimental album that has a lot of potential for future success. After all, The Beatles started out with a German labelled album – so who knows to what heights Dutch Uncles may reach!
★★★★
Like this? Try Battles 'Mirrored'.
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