Howling Bells - Wishing Stone

  by Anthony Strutt

published: 6 / 3 / 2006

Label: Select Label
Format: CDS

intro

Powerful new single from Australian band Howling Bells, making their debut UK release

Howling Bells are a new Australian band and this is their debut UK release. The title track, 'Wishing Stone', crashes into you like a train. It is dark and moody with an edgy guitar line that haunts you from the first note. Front woman Juanita Stein's vocal has an eerie Siouxsie Sioux-like feel to it . To be honest, I can't quite make the band out with this track. They are part of the new Nu-Gaze scene(Shoegazing of the 21st century), but on this to me it comes over as sounding like a mixture of moody Garbage and Curve.It sounds fantastic though and there is some brilliant guitar work on it. 'The Wild' is much slower with a seductive, slurred vocal on it. The backing is minimal, but again very tight.and it is once more very moody. 'This City's Burning' starts slowly and has a Southern States innocence to it, but it soon builds up to create a classic Velvet Underground style vibe. Juanita's vocal performance comes across as a mixture of Beth Orton and PJ Harvey. This is powerful stuff and exactly how good pop music should sound really.

Track Listing:-