Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
Source	Rating
Metacritic	67/100
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic
BBC	(unfavourable)
Clash	(favourable)
dBMagazine	(unfavourable)
Drowned in Sound
Gigwise
Pitchfork
SoundsXP	(unfavourable)
The Guardian
TORO

September 2007, January–July 2008

Radio Wars is the second studio album by London-based Australian indie rock band Howling Bells. It was released through Independiente in the United Kingdom on 2 March 2009 to mixed reviews. Recorded at four different studios, it was produced by Dan Grech-Marguerat except one track by Howling Bells.

Songwriting efforts for Radio Wars were provided by all four members of the band. The album's themes encompass a wide range of topics, from chaos and optimism to unity and the technological revolution. Most songs were demoed in Australia with one recorded in Melbourne, three in London, and the rest in Los Angeles. The album was the band's first physical release issued outside of the UK and Australia. Three singles were issued from Radio Wars, but all failed to chart. The album peaked within the Top 30 on the Australian Albums Chart and just outside the Top 50 on the UK Albums Chart. Although listed as containing ten tracks, the sixth, "Ms. Bell's Song/Radio Wars Theme", is two separate pieces of music. Additionally, a hidden track, "To LA", is omitted from the booklet and back cover. Musically, the album contains elements of rock, pop, blues, folk, and electronica, with songs that range from synthesised percussion rhythms to crooning 1950's style balladry.

To promote the album, the band played a free show at retail outlet Fopp Records, in London, on the day of the UK release. The following week, they played another free show in London, this time sponsored by NME. While touring Radio Wars, Howling Bells supported The Duke Spirit, Mercury Rev, Razorlight, and Coldplay.

Radio Wars was a collective songwriting effort among drummer Glenn Moule, bass guitarist Brendan Picchio, guitarist Joel Stein, and Joel's sister, vocalist and rhythm guitarist, Juanita Stein. The majority of the songwriting on Howling Bells, their debut album, was provided by Juanita. For Radio Wars, members collaborated in the rehearsal studio whenever they could find time. Yet, while touring to support their debut album, the four members wrote much of the new material on laptops. In August 2007, they all brought their songs to a listening party at Juanita and Joel's parents' house in Australia and selected the songs that they would work on. They sought out a country home in Victoria where they recorded fifteen to twenty demos of their new material. At this demoing location, attempts to tune into radio stations to capture a regular signal generated unstable and erratic reception – referred to as 'radio wars' by the band. This provided ideas for two of the tracks, "Radio Wars Theme" and "Digital Hearts" and the album's name.

...
Wikipedia