THE HIGH DIALS
War of the Wakening Phantoms
Rainbow Quartz
· Montreal pop darlings (who cut their teeth playing in The Datsons) work with Joseph Donovan (The Dears, Marlowe) and David Bianco (Teenage Fanclub, Tom Petty, Frank Black, Jayhawks), who contribute to keeping the band locked in the stale Brit-pop dungeon of 1995.
Some vocalists could sing you the dictionary, but others sound as if they are singing the dictionary. Case in point: guitar player Trevor Anderson of The High Dials, who clearly has the chops and lyrical wit, but just doesn’t throw any weight into his vocals during War of the Wakening Phantoms. Songs overstay their welcome by at least a minute and the insufferably fey and monotonous vocals interfere with any attempt at instrumental momentum. Despite having tremendous potential and a gorgeous pop grace, The High Dials need to take it up a notch to make the transition from a so-so band into an unforgettable one.
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