Dutch Uncles – True Entertainment
Manchester anti-lad rockers Dutch Uncles return with their most fun album to date, but one that struggles to find its feet
In a turn towards the bells and whistles of the dancefloor, Dutch Uncles have landed on an album that’s undoubtedly their most boppy yet. True Entertainment is considerably more galvanised than previous outings, with a bit of space still left to experiment with metre (although admittedly that space seems to have shrunk in the six years since their last release).
Duncan Wallis is pushing his vocals further than they’ve gone before, resulting in a lot of new wave warbling that pairs nicely with the pulsing and wiggling electronic landscape behind it. His lyrics are heavy with inter-musical references – from Mr Brightside to Graceland – with Tropigala (2 to 5) featuring a reversed tribute to who else but Dolly Parton. It’s also sonically all 1975, with a chorus built around jumpy staccato and spanky guitar.
The problem is that beyond the singles which dominate True Entertainment’s Side A, the band seem at a bit of a loss as to what to do with their newfound dancefloor credentials. The second half of the record rests on an at-times plodding and repetitive rhythm section, without enough excitement in the melody to buoy it up. This is then topped off by the use of the word ‘coinkydink’ in the final track, which no matter how charmingly cheeky Dutch Uncles are, is unforgivable.
Listen to: True Entertainment, Tropigala (2 to 5)