Howling Bells (album) - Promotion, Release and Reception

Promotion, Release and Reception

Prior to the release of Howling Bells, the band toured extensively. They played club shows in Australia and in North America. Howling Bells toured Europe and the UK with Editors and The Cinematics. They procured club dates with many artists, including The Slits, The Kooks and ¡Forward, Russia!. The group played at emerging artist events, Camden Crawl, and the NME New Music Tour. After the release of the album, Howling Bells toured heavily, performing at clubs and in various festivals. They played at Bella Union's tenth anniversary party and supported various artists, including Placebo, Snow Patrol and The Killers. Attendance at their shows steadily increased during this period, during which they went from having small audiences to selling out venues.

Howling Bells was released on 8 May 2006 in the United Kingdom through Bella Union and on 1 July in Australia through Liberation. It appeared for two weeks on the UK Albums Chart, where it peaked in the Top 100. It also appeared for two weeks on the Australian Albums Chart, where it peaked just outside the Top 50. The release was, at the time, officially declared the fastest selling album on the Bella Union label. It sold 8,000 copies within the first two weeks, and by October, 25,000 copies had been sold. In a competition that is artist or label self-nominated, Howling Bells was one of nine finalists out nearly 200 nominees for the 2006 Australian Music Prize Award (AMP). The eventual winner was Moo, You Bloody Choir by Augie March. A panel of entertainment industry members and journalists nominated Howling Bells for the 2006 Shortlist Music Prize. The eventual winner of that award was The Greatest by Cat Power. Howling Bells appeared on album of the year lists in eight different publications. It also received a spot on a Top 66 Albums of 2000–2006 list. Retail outlet Piccadilly Records placed it in the Top 20 of its end-of-the-year list.

Howling Bells was met with overall positive reviews from music critics. It was recognised for its effective combination of elements of pop, country, blues and rock. Niall O'Keeffe of Yahoo! Music noted its depth and range and compared it to the music of Hope Sandoval. He went on to say, "A debut album couldn't be more sophisticated if it wore a beret and smoked filterless French cigarettes while reading Rimbaud by candlelight." Chris Waugh of ILikeMusic admired Joel's guitar playing, calling it "brilliantly inventive." He also praised the band's ability to write what he called "brooding and killer" verses and choruses. He ended by saying the album was "a truly special debut by a truly special band, and you should let it start seeping into your consciousness now." Richard Hughes of CD Times drew comparisons to My Bloody Valentine, PJ Harvey and a David Lynch movie soundtrack. He warned, "You'll find yourself following their path down the dark side of rock 'n roll."

Less favourable reviews came from David Renshaw of Wears the Trousers Magazine, who said, "Occasionally, the songs are repetitive, and with summer supposedly in full swing, this album is not one for the barbeque." However, he added that the band possesses the unique ability to transport the listener to another world. Tim DiGravina of Allmusic wrote that "shallow subject matter, often goofy rhyming lyrics, and a heavy-handed use of falsetto sometimes sidetracks the album as a whole." He also argued that "The Night is Young" stole structural elements and the guitar conclusion of Coldplay's "Yellow". However, he added that "the good ultimately outweighs the bad, making for a flawed but still satisfying debut." Emily Mackay of Playlouder compared the band with The Duke Spirit, Sons and Daughters and Tarnation, and she commented, "Howling Bells have crafted a unique, glossy, gothic gloom." She finished with a word of caution: "It veers close, however, to being too polished ... Howling Bells run the risk of being just picturesque melancholy."