The Static Dial - Indie Rock - Detroit, MI
The Static Dial describes their music as layered, moody, and expressive with strong grooves. That is generally a tall order to live up to, but I was very pleasantly surprised by their self-titled EP that is streaming on their Bandcamp site, released back in 2011.
What is immediately apparent about this past release is how slick the production is, even for something that came out over a year ago. The guitar work is extremely impressive, composed of heavily textured chords and melodies, and this creates the perfect somber late-night atmosphere. It’s easy to get distracted by the beautiful superimposed guitars, but the bassist also does a lot of great work on “Tides,” offering a much greater effort than most average bass players often put forth. The big tone and heaviness of the drums contrast quite nicely with the less aggressive, clean guitars.
Fast forward a year, and The Static Dial have recently released a set of new songs, including “Move Along,” their newest single, hitting the web on December 11th. From the first set of melodic guitar chords, listeners quickly find that The Static Dial is still working heavily with their already established sound—they’re just doing it way better.
The song structure on “Move Along” is very carefully designed, employing a very refined, mature sense of restraint. Rather than bombarding the listener with overly aggressive energy and yelling, the song slowly develops, building with each verse. The chorus picks up the song’s momentum, but not so much that it changes the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Afterwards, there is some great solo guitar work that really carries the listener to the following verses. This demonstrates that, while the sound is still the same, the band members have grown far more proficient in their playing.
Never once did I think to stop listening to The Static Dial while streaming their recordings. The band is clearly very talented, but they don’t throw it in your face with some misguided sense of pretension. Instead, they subtly build each of their songs with wonderfully melodic, clean tones as the singer’s smooth voice strings you along. The band’s 2011 self-titled EP showed that The Static Dial had a lot to offer, and the newest single “Move Along” definitely proves that the band is continuing to grow.
I wonder where they’ll be in a year? I’d love to hear a full-length from this band. Very rarely is a sound engaging enough to hold my interest for more than twenty minutes, but The Static Dial’s charming, chilled late-night atmosphere is perfect for being played on repeat. Keep an eye out for them in the future, because I’m sure they’re going to start popping up everywhere. Talent can only stay hidden for so long.
Check out their 2011 EP:
http://thestaticdial1.bandcamp.com/album/the-static-dial-ep
Listen to and purchase “Move Along” on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/move-along-single/ID582536057
Check out the band's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StaticDial
By: Max Puhala
What is immediately apparent about this past release is how slick the production is, even for something that came out over a year ago. The guitar work is extremely impressive, composed of heavily textured chords and melodies, and this creates the perfect somber late-night atmosphere. It’s easy to get distracted by the beautiful superimposed guitars, but the bassist also does a lot of great work on “Tides,” offering a much greater effort than most average bass players often put forth. The big tone and heaviness of the drums contrast quite nicely with the less aggressive, clean guitars.
Fast forward a year, and The Static Dial have recently released a set of new songs, including “Move Along,” their newest single, hitting the web on December 11th. From the first set of melodic guitar chords, listeners quickly find that The Static Dial is still working heavily with their already established sound—they’re just doing it way better.
The song structure on “Move Along” is very carefully designed, employing a very refined, mature sense of restraint. Rather than bombarding the listener with overly aggressive energy and yelling, the song slowly develops, building with each verse. The chorus picks up the song’s momentum, but not so much that it changes the pleasant, relaxed atmosphere. Afterwards, there is some great solo guitar work that really carries the listener to the following verses. This demonstrates that, while the sound is still the same, the band members have grown far more proficient in their playing.
Never once did I think to stop listening to The Static Dial while streaming their recordings. The band is clearly very talented, but they don’t throw it in your face with some misguided sense of pretension. Instead, they subtly build each of their songs with wonderfully melodic, clean tones as the singer’s smooth voice strings you along. The band’s 2011 self-titled EP showed that The Static Dial had a lot to offer, and the newest single “Move Along” definitely proves that the band is continuing to grow.
I wonder where they’ll be in a year? I’d love to hear a full-length from this band. Very rarely is a sound engaging enough to hold my interest for more than twenty minutes, but The Static Dial’s charming, chilled late-night atmosphere is perfect for being played on repeat. Keep an eye out for them in the future, because I’m sure they’re going to start popping up everywhere. Talent can only stay hidden for so long.
Check out their 2011 EP:
http://thestaticdial1.bandcamp.com/album/the-static-dial-ep
Listen to and purchase “Move Along” on iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/move-along-single/ID582536057
Check out the band's Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/StaticDial
By: Max Puhala