Heartstrings
2 June 2014
Birthday
3.5 stars out of 5
“I’ve got patience, but patience, it seems, ain’t got time
for me,” sings Juanita Stein on “Slowburn,” from Howling Bells’ fourth studio
LP, Heartstrings. The band’s wit and
charm permeate this record, getting into every last pore. The London-residing
Australians have sometimes been billed as a darker version of The Long Blondes,
and while there were perhaps some moments on 2009’s Radio Wars that could justify such a classification, Stein &
Co. have finally proven they deserve it with Heartstrings.
The ominous rattle of tracks like “Paris,” “Original Sin,”
and “Heartstrings” gives notice that the band has arrived in 2014 ready to
erase the memory of their poorly-received 2011 LP The Loudest Engine (not nearly as bad as some say, but not exactly
their shining moment either). At about 32 minutes, Heartstrings is by far their briefest LP, with the result being
that there’s no down time during the 10 tracks. Their vaguely post-something
brand of indie rock is infused with a bit of chamber pop here, a bit of Morricone-style
western there, and throughout the album their songwriting is tighter and more
concise than ever.
Heartstrings is an
enjoyable quickie of stylized dark indie rock. Perhaps it won’t be on your
playlist three or four years from now, but you won’t have any regrets enjoying
it now while it’s still fresh.
reviewed by Richard Krueger
No comments:
Post a Comment