Dutch Uncles aren’t actually Dutch; they originate from Manchester. No confirmation on whether they’re truly uncles, though—I’d bet a few of them are. The brisk art-pop collective features six members; surely there are at least two uncles among them. Our last update on Dutch Uncles came with the release of the 2023 album True Entertainment, while frontuncle Robin Richards released his solo debut Taproots the previous year. (Richards is indeed the band’s bassist and principal composer, and I’m not sure if that makes him the leader or not. I simply couldn’t resist the term “frontuncle.”) Now, a fresh Dutch Uncles record is on the horizon.
Early next year, Dutch Uncles will drop Polygon Hotel, their new album self-produced, with Felix Davis, known for his work with Geese and Lime Hotel, handling the mixing. It marks their first release since expanding to a sextet, with longtime collaborators Henry Broadhead, a multi-instrumentalist, and Neil Wright, a guitarist, becoming full members of the group.
Lead single “No Note” carries a trace of the classic XTC or Tears For Fears lineage. It’s a grand, bustling track with an elaborate arrangement and a prominent marimba, and its melodies wander across a wide spectrum. In a press release, Duncan Wallis, the member who could arguably be described as the frontuncle, shares the following:
A three-minute lament on time wasted looking at one’s phone. Specifically, time spent on social media and a regret that so much of our lives has been invested into the engine of social media, just for it to be snatched up and controlled by the worst people imaginable.
And, ironically given that it’s a meditation on time wasted, the lyrics were written in only five minutes.
Patrick King directed the “No Note” video, and Miles Buckle produced the nightmarish ’90s-style CGI animation. Check it out below, along with the Polygon Hotel tracklist and Dutch Uncles’ upcoming tour dates.
TRACKLIST:
01 “Outset I”
02 “Le Bin”
03 “No Note”
04 “No Wonder”
05 “Catapulting”
06 “Outset II”
07 “Rialto”
08 “Boots!”
09 “Wrecking House”
10 “The Dome”
11 “Chosen”
TOUR DATES:
3/05 – Glasgow, UK @ Nice N Sleazy
3/07 – Bristol, UK @ The Exchange
3/10 – Manchester, UK @ Band on the Wall
3/12 – Newcastle, UK @ The Cluny
3/17 – Birmingham, UK @ Hare & Hounds
3/18 – London, UK @ 100 Club
3/21 – Leeds, UK @ Brudenell Social Club
Polygon Hotel is out 2/19 on Memphis Industries.
