Dutch Uncles - O Shudder

If only all bands were as honest as Dutch Uncles. In the press release accompanying their second album – or at least, the sticker affixed to the CD case by their PR people – the band are specific about their influences: mid-period Kate Bush, Prefab Sprout, Japan.
Is this, you wonder, a clever bait on their part? Because the comparisons that spring to mind are rather more contemporary. Cooing in a crumpled croon, Duncan Wallis comes off like a moodier version of Wild Beasts’ Hayden Thorpe, while the downcast grooves carry a strong whiff of Hot Chip.
What prevents the record coming off as pastiche is the inventiveness of their arrangements – in order to avoid charges of pretension or indulgence, highfalutin’ art-pop has to feel absolutely serious (any hint of a wink and you’re done for) – and this is exactly what Dutch Uncles have achieved,
The record’s secret sauce is in the form of evocative ’80s arrangements – on the lilting, crepuscular ‘I Should Have Read’ and ‘Given Back’, for instance, you can almost smell the dry ice and visualise a rickety Top Of The Pops set. O Shudder cannot decide whether it wishes to be tribute or pastiche – but is so heartfelt and charming it hardly matters.

Key Track - 'Given Back'