Photo: WENN
The atmosphere seems linked to the intensity of the smoke machine. Filling the air, the early slow songs pass as the crowd breathe in their warm psychedelia and slowly let themselves go.
Juanita Stein has potent vocals, tripping between angelic and aggressive, cutting through the male backing, deep bass and soaring lead guitar. They may be a decade into their career, but they still have the fresh energy of newcomers with the new songs only reinvigorating the group.
On slower track 'Nightingale', the bassist had the previously still crowd now clapping along. With it's delightful warm guitar solo it punctuates the set while never bordering on self-indulgent, only adding texture and suspense with slide and an e-bow.
Regardless of the tracks being old or new, Stein lets out her inner pop diva out, just as comfortable on the lively 'City's Burning Down' and the powerful new 'Reverie'.
In the bands encore, she shows another string to her bow, singing the soothing ballad of 'Paper Plane' beautifully along with just a piano, while the spellbound crowd swayed along. Howling Bells may not be reinventing the wheel, but they definitely have enough musical diversity to keep things very interesting.
