Dream Phases began with a vision of evolving the sounds launched by legendary L.A. bands such as The Byrds, The Beach Boys, and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, as well as those who followed, including The Rain Parade, Elliott Smith, Darker My Love, and Autolux. As the synths on the song attest, 'Helen Highway' was written while listening to a lot of Gary Numan, with the synthesizer tracks layered in a way that lets the listener fall into the song and be swept along. The lyrics relate how we only get one chance at life, reminding us not to be complacent and to remember we can change continually, pursuing the life we truly want to live. With the influences of not only Gary Numan, but The Verve and The Velvet Underground, the song builds to an ending of pure release. 'Tandy' is about reflecting on a past relationship and questioning its outcome. Written with a garage-psych feel influenced by L.A.'s Paisley Underground movement (The Rain Parade, The Dream Syndicate, The Three O'Clock), it's a song writer Brandon Graham envisions being played by DJ friends at local psych club nights. Like The Creation, the band uses a bow on some of the guitars to create an especially unmistakable psychedelic sound. A 12-string Rickenbacker overdub on the bridge is evidence of Brandon's immersion in a massive book on The Byrds (especially their 1965-68 heyday) while making the song.
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