Don’t call it a comeback. Or, well, do. If you like. ‘Heartstrings’ is the first Howling Bells record since they entered the nebulous world of the hiatus following the release of ‘The Loudest Engine’ in 2011, and something of a return to the sound that made their debut a sleeper hit.
Having lost ground on the synth-heavy ‘Radio Wars’ and failed to recover it on its follow up, ‘Heartstrings’ is a welcome surprise. It’s a grandiose treat, one that meshes ‘80s atmospherics with the band’s penchant for Americana and ‘70s rock guitar lines.
Juanita Stein, who refocused her writing on Howling Bells after becoming a mother for the first time, sounds rejuvenated, her melodies adorning slices of dense indie-rock given the wall of sound treatment by producers Catherine J. Marks and Alan Moulder.
Paris, Possessed and Your Love offer an inviting door into the album’s world, each one of them trading in woozy melodies that are alluringly rough around the edges. Possessed, in particular, casts them as a Dum Dum Girls with Led Zeppelin, rather than Echo And The Bunnymen, on the brain. It’s a winner.
Stein indulges a rugged, bar-room sound on Tornado and a quiet air of menace on Slowburn, but the album’s front end does prove to be too heavily loaded. The big hitters are all at the top of the order on ‘Heartstrings’, with the album’s second half keeping up the ambience without delivering as many addictive hooks.
Still, this is the work of a band in control of their future. Recorded in a short, sharp burst, it is a distillation of what made them an enticing proposition almost a decade ago. Welcome back.
Howling Bells Upcoming Tour Dates are as follows:
Thu June 05 2014 - GLASGOW King Tuts Wah Wah Hut
Sat June 07 2014 - LEEDS Brudenell Social Club
Sun June 08 2014 - BRISTOL Thekla
Mon June 09 2014 - PORTSMOUTH Wedgewood Rooms
Tue June 10 2014 - LONDON Scala
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