Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
dB Magazine	(favourable)
Drowned in Sound
Gigwise
musicOMH
NME
Pitchfork Media	(7.8/10)
Playlouder
SoundsXP	(favourable)
Yahoo! Music

2005 (2005)

Howling Bells is the self-titled debut album of London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. The album was released through Bella Union in the United Kingdom on 8 May 2006. It was produced, engineered and mixed by Ken Nelson and was recorded at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool, in early 2005.

The album was predominantly written by vocalist and rhythm guitarist Juanita Stein. The majority of the album's themes revolve around her own relationships and feelings of affection. Most of the songs were demoed in Australia, but all were recorded in England, as the band relocated there to work with Ken Nelson. Five singles were released from the album, four of which appeared on the UK Singles Chart. The album peaked in the Top 100 in the UK and just outside the Top 50 in Australia. It was, at the time, the fastest selling album on the Bella Union label, and it appeared on album of the year lists in eight different publications. In 2006, Howling Bells was a finalist for the Australian Music Prize Award and a nominee for the Shortlist Music Prize. The 12-track set features a wide array of music styles, including rock, pop, country, folk and blues.

Howling Bells performed at numerous club shows and festivals around the world to promote the album. They supported various artists, including Editors, Mercury Rev, Placebo, Snow Patrol and The Killers. In general, Howling Bells was received extremely well by music critics. Those who reviewed it less favourably argued that the album's content was superficial and that the songs were repetitive at times.

Most of the song lyrics on Howling Bells were written by Juanita Stein when she took time off from the band's previous incarnation, the Sydney-based pop rock group Waikiki. All members of Howling Bells were also in Waikiki. After growing discontent with their pop rock sound, the band members opted to assume an indie rock identity and changed their name to Howling Bells. The group began to perform material from Howling Bells while still called Waikiki. The majority of the lyrical subject matter centres on Juanita's own interpersonal relationships. She wrote some songs about the loss felt through ending relationships and others about forming new romance. Afterward, drummer Glenn Moule, guitarist Joel Stein, and bass guitarist Brendan Picchio arranged the music around her words.

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