Six years into Dutch Uncles’ flourishing career, the idiosyncratic artpopologists return with new album ‘O Shudder’, which sees them further distilling and refining their signature sound, marrying rock bombast with classical arrangements, acoustic instrumentation with smart synthetic pop.

‘O Shudder’ is Dutch Uncles’ most direct record to date, the sound of a wildly witty band well and truly finding their stride whilst lyrically tackling the growing pains of being twenty-something in a generic Northern suburbia. According to hip swivelling frontman Duncan Wallis, the album covers themes including “pregnancy, social media, terrorism, divorce, sexual dysfunction, job seeking, health scares, doubt, love.”

With ‘O Shudder’, Dutch Uncles continue their fascinating, wonky ascent which has seen them play enormodomes with emo punk rock behemoths and self confessed Dutch Uncles acolytes Paramore, supporting and being supported by like minded leftfield pop adventurers Wild Beasts, Outfit, Field Music and Everything Everything, have a burger named after them by one of Manchester’s premiere eateries and prefigure Future Islands’ dance moves meme in their video for 2013 single ‘Flexxin’.

The album was recorded with long term collaborator Brendan Williams in three locations – at a studio in the heart of the Welsh valleys, above Salford pub ‘The King’s Arms’ (incidentally where C4 comedy ‘Fresh Meat’ is filmed) and, for the acoustic instruments, in the natural reverb of Salford’s Peel Hall. The band were meticulous in tweaking their synth sounds so they’d fit seamlessly with the harp, xylophone, marimba, string and woodwind sounds that populate the record.

Sources of inspiration for the record included The Blue Nile, Kate Bush’s third album ‘Never For Ever’, Igor Stravinsky, Japan and lyrically John Cooper Clarke, Sparks, Ian Dury and Prefab Sprouts’ album ‘From Langley Park To Memphis’.

Dutch Uncles have delivered on their youthful potential and with ‘O Shudder’ they’ve solved their own particular Rubik’s Cube, bringing their unclassifiable pop music into clear and precise focus.

LP pressed on 180g heavyweight vinyl with digital download code.