The High Dials – Yestergraves

Montreal indie band The High Dials have broken their recent silence and announced a new album for 2014. In the meantime, they are releasing a couple of warm-up EPs, the first of which is Yestergraves.

Since their 60s inspired debut in 2003, The High Dials have undergone a transformation, gradually leaning more towards a psychedelic than British mod sound. Yestergraves is a psych introspection – pensive and distant with an out-of-focus air.

The title track begins with a hazy mist of guitar that solidifies into a melodic weaving of riffs and synth, undercut with a pulsating beat. Its dreamy vocal harmony provides a mesmerising warmth that echoes the songs sentiments about acceptance and futility: “we live in the life that we choose, not yesterday”.

In the same vein, Echoes and Empty Rooms combines shimmery, dream-like melodies with the vibe of a classic 80s throwback. Evil Twin shows a darker side to the EP, with offset electro hiccups, sinister vocal echoes and a synth that sounds like Kraftwerk gone rogue.

Hopefully an indication of what’s to come in 2014, Yestergraves is a strong, though brief, collection of indie psych. All that’s left is to enjoy, and wait for the next installment.

Sarah Edmonds

Yestergraves EP was released on 22^nd November 2013. For further information or to order the album visit the High Dials’ website here.

Listen to Yestergraves here: