Howling Bells
The Loudest Engine

They don't disappoint, they don't disappoint. In fact, they improve. It has been a constant progression. At least up until now (and it seems new sounds are taking shape in the studio), the saga of the Howling Bells has been a step-by-step growth, album after album. Believing in them was almost an obligation: because even the first self-titled strike, and it's been 8 years now, suggested that these Australians wouldn't just play the part of harmless alternative shooting stars; because the ideas (and influences) were clear from the start – in fact, over the years we've seen them evolve, we've discovered they're capable of maturing in ways I myself wouldn't have believed; because finally (wasn't it about time?) a group was emerging that referenced Mazzy Star, PJ Harvey, and Radiohead without SHAMELESSLY resembling any one of them...

...and above all, I say, find me an indie/alternative/whatever-you-want band that amidst the usual names of the usual listening list will throw in the one of Amon Duul-number Two...

Indeed, yes. They could have repeated the successful formula of "Radio Wars" from 2009, with synthesizers and drum machines composing the soundtrack of a modern electronic pop-wave, but no – radical change. With "The Loudest Engine" two years ago, the "sound" coordinates boldly moved back in time: the acid guitars of sixties California enter (or rather RETURN – but more incisive) (Jefferson Airplane above all), more psychedelic atmospheres in the pure sense of the term and pieces even better structured, adept at balancing roughness and smoothness, visionary solos and catchiness, rock and pop song. The most difficult balance to find, the ambition that for so many newcomers remains a pure mirage and not much more. The Howling Bells are approaching that significant milestone, tracing ever-new lines in that direction.

Juanita Stein's personality DOMINATES within the Sydney quartet. She is the author of the lyrics and music of 11 out of 12 tracks, and the remaining track ("Gold Suns, White Guns") is co-written with her brother Joel, lead guitarist and instrumental soul. The girl is one of those who boast an encyclopedic knowledge of entire decades of Rock-antiquity, but what matters most is her skill in transferring into the sounds all those components that make the Bells' "new" psychedelia something enormously captivating. The key also lies in her sweet, very melodic voice, perfect for the irresistible musicality of "Live On" as well as for songs of pure charisma and interpretation, such as – among others – "Sioux". It's not an irrelevant detail when it comes to the group's image – they write about her as one of the most "charming" female figures on the Australian scene, and honestly, I can't bring myself to contradict those who write so...

...you can sense a vague (but not much, and you'll notice it) "desert-like" mood among the tracks of "Engine" – perhaps the result of the month spent in Nevada for recordings, under the guidance of Mark Stoermer of the Killers – who as a producer, hasn't done badly, avoiding excesses or the temptations for more radio-friendly solutions that might have been feared. The long apprenticeship alongside superstars like Placebo and Coldplay has also guaranteed the achievement of a very high live performance level, and this could only influence the way our band masters the studio. The compositions are well thought out and constructed, the band took their time and used it wisely: far from reproducing the glossier sound of their predecessor, the record shines best in the guitar/bass interplay – sought and found in the three minutes of an assertive "Into the Sky" to remember, in the vibes of "The Wilderness" that recall, and not coincidentally, the Doors (the harmonic paths, the sound of the organ at the end, but also the solo space reserved for Joel), in the rock-blues of "Charlatan" and "Secrets".

Then there's the semi-acoustic "Don't Run," perhaps the most "pop" episode (in a positive sense, it's needless to say) but magnified by Juanita's remarkable work on the vocal parts; and that sequence of chords on "The Faith" – I can't help it, I have a habit of picking out the notes on first listen... – that surprises me when I would expect a (slightly) more conventional piece... yet, not a hint of banality – not even here. The title track is all California (or rather, much more than Australia), "Baby Blue" is a nocturnal flower amidst the desert sand – a characteristic of the H.B., I've always thought so from the start, is the gift of being SOLAR and LUNAR together...

Beautiful album, deeply beautiful.

4/5.