The High Dials – War of the Wakening Phantoms
(Rainbow Quartz)

Montreal’s The High Dials were slagged early on in their careers for pilfering too many riffs from The Jam and The Who — not a bad thing in my opinion — back when they were known as The Datsons (not to be confused with The Datsuns). After adding a full-time keyboardist and adopting a new moniker for themselves, they subsequently released a masterpiece of an album, the psych-mod concept record “A New Devotion”, and thus they were reborn. Unfortunately, with the new name, new record label, and new direction in sound, they continue to fly under a lot of people’s radars. Perhaps their latest album, “War of the Wakening Phantoms” will change all that.

Building on the psychadelic dream-pop that they hinted at on A New Devotion, War of the Wakening Phantoms may not seem, at first listen, to be an album that will immediately grab anyone’s attention. It’s definitely mellower and overall less focused on the danceable R&B riffs that they have been known for in the past. But what The High Dials have done here is woven another tapestry of sounds from the past and updated them to the here and now. The result is another timeless and beautiful collection of songs.

The first half of the record still packs a punch; “The Holy Ground” with its persuasive strumming, handclaps and ethereal keys gets the album off on the right foot, while scorchers like “Soul In Lust” and “Our Time Is Coming Soon” are sure to get your body moving through potent basslines, stabbing guitars and sing-along melodies. On the other hand, the shimmering guitars and airy vocals of “Strandhill Sands” do well to bridge the gap with the quieter tunes.

On the latter half of the album the energy drops off a fair bit, but don’t let that discourage you. Once again, The High Dials use every instrument in their musical arsenal, from flutes to banjo to mandolin to horns, to keep you enchanted. “The Drum” is a captivating stripped-down song that has a downright classic feel to it, while “A River Haunting” is a quiet, unassuming pop gem with a soulful breakdown at its finale. Then there’s the 8-and-a-half minute “Your Eyes Are A Door”, which feels like the creative centrepiece of the album not because of its epic length but because of its multiple layers of melody and psychadelic lyrics.

Will this truly be the year of The High Dials? Something tells me this record has a lot more mainstream appeal than their last one, though it may be a little too refined and mature to catch on in a major way. Regardless, I do foresee a strong and dedicated following continuing to build for The High Dials. War of the Wakening Phantoms is not only a kaleidoscope of 60’s rock nostalgia, but also a refreshing work of modern rock. — Sean

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Recommended If You Like: The Beatles, The Apples In Stereo, The Flaming Lips, Mercury Rev, The Dandy Warhols, Of Montreal, The Byrds

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