Dutch Uncles - Red Balloon

Manchester's retro math-rockers return with album number five (their fourth for the Memphis Industries label) and, resisting any temptation to jump on the current bandwagon for psych revivalism, deliver a collection that, if anything, condenses and distils the very essence of their previous output.Kicking off with galloping bass and distorted guitar of the title track Bad Balloo,n Duncan Wallis' distinctive vocals and Andy Proudfoot's mesmeric drumming soon have your fingers tapping in an attempt to master the atypical time signatures that have become such a hallmark of Dutch Uncles. Again borrowing from previously declared influences that include King Crimson, Talking Heads and Steve Reich, Bad Balloon now seem to exude an urgency induced by a need to remain relevant. So, whilst Wallis androgynous tones might seem to extract tonal imagery from Kate Bush's The Red Shoes or Bowie's Low, the landscape is now layered with potent guitar work and peppered with a lyrical take on contemporary issues. The result is an album that will appeal to fans of the band, but will create a surge in interest in Dutch Uncles' back catalogue, and of all those 70's and 80's artists that have helped mold the sound.

8/10