Sydney raised and longtime London based quartet Howling Bells returned to Melbourne for their first headline show in two-and-a-half years. This show comes at the beginning of an Australian tour that caps off a year during which they released their second album, Radio Wars, and supported one of the biggest bands in the world, Coldplay, on their North American tour.

Howling Bells’ first album was a multi-layered, dark and stormy masterpiece, brimming with attitude, guts and swooning melodies. Following in the footsteps of such an exceptional debut was always going to be a challenge for the Bells, and unfortunately they weren’t able to match it with their sophomore LP. Where their first record had driving and textured rhythms, their follow up – apart from the odd song – is not as ambitious.

This perhaps explains why the majority of their set was made up of songs from their debut album and its superiority was self-evident at the Corner.

Before Howling Bells took the stage, the teenaged Sydney three-piece Papa VS Pretty warmed up a building audience. Their prodigiously talented lead singer displayed considerable guitar skills, even leaping into an inspired cover of Prince’s Purple Rain.

Formed out of the ashes of Mercy Arms, Canvas Kites was next on the bill. For frontman Thom Moore this stripped-back trio marks a significant musical departure from Mercy Arms’ lush arrangements. Not least in terms of their attire. The last time I saw Moore fronting a band, at the Northcote Social Club, the band was decked out in all-white smocks and leotards. This trio was dressed far more modestly. Canvas Kites embraced a summery, jangly-pop sound, with catchy riffs and harmonies. I reckon we might be hearing a bit more from them.

Howling Bells’ diminutive lead singer Juanita Stein then strode onto stage with her bandmates in tow – including her brother, Joel, on lead guitar – sporting a magnificent glittering silver top and black mini-skirt. She cuts quite a bewitching figure on stage and the predominantly male audience was transfixed from start to finish.

They kicked off their set with a thumping rendition of Blessed Night, one of the toughest on their self-titled debut. Their rockier songs translate really well live, adopting booming and ominous tones. They followed this up with Nightingale, a sparsely arranged, synth-pop number from their more recent album. It seemed an unusual choice to descend from such an energetic opening to a ballad, but Stein’s seductive delivery made it work.

Five of the next six tunes were hand-picked from their debut album and this is when the show really started to take off. Stein swayed gracefully across the stage as they played the soaring Setting Sun. I don’t want to dwell on it, nor do I wish to discredit the rest of the band, but her stage presence is quite mesmerising. I can’t remember a show when the singer commanded such attention from the audience. The audience remained still throughout the show, apart from the occasional shuffle, but that may have had more to do with hypnosis than apathy.

Stein’s pitch-perfect voice shines during their live shows and this was nowhere more apparent than during the ballad-of-sorts, Across the Avenue. Her hypnotic vocals took on real bite as she wailed amidst the band’s atmospheric melodies.

Taking lead from their powerful opener, the Bells then launched into Low Happening, the first single from their debut. Its familiar opening riff echoed around the Corner and drew the biggest reaction of the night from the restrained crowd.

The band’s set hit its peak with the haunting, country-tinged Ballad for the Bleeding Hearts. Stein dedicated the song to the bleeding hearts in the audience and held everyone enthralled as she swayed and crooned through their most dramatic and stirring song. It built to a wonderfully haunting crescendo that delighted the punters.

After belting out Broken Bones, another melodic, toe-tapping tune from their first record, they performed Cities Burning Down, the strongest track from Radio Wars. Cities Burning Down recreates the evocative and murky sound that made their first record so alluring, a quality missing from many of the other songs on their second release. Lead-guitarist Joel Stein’s flashing riffs shot across the dynamic, rumbling soundscape, accompanied by his sister’s ethereal tones.

The band also played a couple of new songs, most notably Loudest Engine Of All, their tribute to life on the tour bus. Apparently the band has spent so much time on the road that the drone of their tour bus’ engine – along with Xanax – helps lull Juanita to sleep. Her sibling Joel stole the limelight with a blistering solo during this heavy track. It featured a more intense sound, which is hopefully a sign of a new musical direction.

In somewhat of an anti-climax, the Howling Bells closed off their set proper with the monotonous, largely instrumental Radio Wars Theme. But after leaving the stage for a moment they returned for a one-song encore, performing another cracking first album track, Wishing Stone.

There is no doubt the Howling Bells sound fabulous live. In fact, I overheard one excited punter say he would travel to the moon to see them play. However, in many ways their Corner show was a little odd. They only played four songs off an album they are apparently touring, while there are other songs from Radio Wars that deserved an airing.

Also, for a band that hadn’t played a headline show in Melbourne for some time – and they probably won’t be back for a while – they played a disappointingly short 50-minute set. They certainly had a few more songs they could have played, especially from their second album. It definitely leaves one wondering why.

Nevertheless, judging by the quality of their sound and the crispness with which it is delivered live, the Howling Bells should be assured of an appreciative audience next time it decides to visit Melbourne, whenever that may be.

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