The High Dials
War of the Wakening Phantoms
(rainbow quartz)
Montreal’s High Dials return in a big way with their sophomore effort. But this psychedelic pop doesn’t indulge in 14-minute tunes, just 14 tunes period. And that means there’s a lot coming at you, clocking in at just over an hour. It’s hard to pare back the overgrowth to find the true blooms. But they’re there: “Soul in Lust” comes early and has some able Matt Murphy-like guitar work combining with dance-punk rhythm; “A River Haunting” sounds like it flows right from Motown. While there are little moments to enjoy here, the overall album doesn’t live up to expectations set by A New Devotion. And who decided to put the small, black type against dark green on the liner? Hard to read. This one may just get filed away too soon.
—Sean Flinn
The High Dials
War of the Wakening Phantoms
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