With hazy, pitch-perfect harmonies and bright, jangly guitars, the High Dials take the oldest, most quintessential elements of psychedelic pop and make them sound fresh and new. Good melodies are timeless--and the impossibly catchy ones this band churns out hold up to the best.
The new album A New Devotion is a brilliant recording of jangle, psychedelia and colorful melodies: reminiscent of a psychedelicized Squeeze backed by The Clash. Their fantastic song structure would surely make the guys in Teardrop Explodes and Echo and The Bunnymen gush with pride.
The album is about as ambitious as a pop album can get. The 18 songs tell the story of a mysterious character known only as "Silas" and his attempt to escape unseen powers in a nightmarish city of the future. Lead singer / songwriter Trevor Anderson adds: "A lot of the songs are about that magic, a perfect place we've lost and want back"
A conceptual record is not a common occurrence on today’s musical landscape.
As Trevor notes: "We're inspired by the more adventurous bands out there who still try to make great albums. The Flaming Lips are a prime example. I like a good vapid pop tune like the next guy, but it's the albums – the ones that keep giving up new secrets: those are the ones we really hunger for."