Howling Bells - Radio Wars 2CD (AUSTRALIAN EDITION) (2009)

*SPECIAL EDITION COMES WITH SEVEN-TRACK BONUS LIVE DISC, 'PARADISO'* Returning with a stronger, richer sound Australian indie rockers Howling Bells might just be onto something this time around. The songs are a lot sturdier, the hooks far more forthcoming than previously, and they're at least as good looking as they were last time around, if not slightly more so. While 'Cities Burning Down' is the first single to be lifted from the album, there's probably a bit more mileage in something like 'It Ain't You' or 'Into The Chaos'. The production really helps the band flesh out their sound, which is a good thing, because other than Juanita Stein's voice (which recalls both Harriet Wheeler of The Sundays and Cortney Tidwell) there's not a lot going on here that you could single out as being "Howling Bells-y". You still get the sense that this is a band that could use just one great musician amongst their ranks who could take their music to the next level - the songwriting is certainly on its way, and the album itself sounds suitably massive, but you can't help but think that as a unit they haven't quite found the necessary magic that would make them something truly special.

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Radio Wars Album Teaser