Quick hitters:: The High Dials

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There’s an incredible warm streak running through Nova Scotia right now. It’s been so nice here lately that people are afraid to talk about it, fearing that elastic band like cold snap that waits just around the corner. The leaves are fighting to hang on for a few more days, and basically the rich autumn tones are trying to make up for the terrible summer we had.

That unexpected warmth is exactly the feeling you get when you soak in the new record from The High Dials. The Montreal retro rockers construct spacey, psych-pop tapestries, but unlike their last record, the songs rest more on the pop side of the equation. Despite the acclaim of their last release, the band had some setbacks and personnel changes (the departure of Rishi Dhir - the sitar/bassist) that impacted their sound. Unashamed space-pop tracks like Oisin, My Bastard Brother and My Heart Is Pinned To Your Sleeve still expose some psychedelic textures, but instead of nodding along you feel like clapping or dancing.

Don’t worry, the songs are still drenched in beautiful reverb, harmonies and hazy guitars (Seagull Blues, Invisible Choirs and Open The Gates for example) it’s just that unlike so many of these dreamy records the pile on layer after layer, The High Dials actually float you away to a truly weightless place.