by Jon Piotrowski (@visioncults)
There’s something enchanting about Will Canning’s voice. The lead singer of the Australian-born Death Bells established his brooding charm back in 2016 on the band’s self-titled EP. At the time, he was channelling a more ethereal side to his captivating tone. Their sound, akin to early 80s dark wave instrumentation à la Faith by The Cure was simply the beginning of the band’s sonic evolution. The year following, amidst a slew of other single releases, Death Bells released Standing at the Edge of the World, their debut full-length. This album barrels with raw emotion, showcasing Canning’s dark vigor, but all the while inching away from the dream pop tenderness that they started out with.
Soon after the release of Standing at the Edge of the World, Death Bells swapped hemispheres and left their hometown of Sydney for Los Angeles. This inevitably led to the fusion of founding members, Will Canning and Remy Veselis, with a laundry list of key, L.A. underground musicians to round out their impending momentum. 2018’s single release “Echoes/Move Through Me” and 2019’s Around the Bend are notable precursors to a substantial shift that might not change the band’s sound forever, but most definitely dictates the direction they have landed on in 2020 with their second full-length, New Signs of Life.
The record is an extremely well polished transformation for the band. It is a power house of hooky guitar melodies and bright 80s synth sounds, rounded out perfectly with the definitive baritone of Canning. The band also seamlessly incorporates brass instrumentation on the album, harkening back to their Australian predecessors, INXS. The one thing synonymous with Death Bells’ sound over the past four years is the romantic swagger of Will Canning. He provides the perfect amount of lead-singer-mystery to whisk you off of your feet at all times.
On New Signs of Life, he has a knack for staying grounded, hopeful and optimistic, while still maintaining a visceral edge to his lyricism. Canning manages to find a sliver of light cracking though the window blinds on the song, ‘A Different Kind of Happy'. “Despite the uncertainty of life, I wouldn’t give up” is the seminal chorus found on this standout track, highlighting the new and enhanced vibe of his delivery. Trading reverb-laden, haunting vocals for a more up-close and positive view of the state of the world in which we live, Canning still rings true as a poignant yet very much evolved frontman. As beautiful as the saxophone that seeps in majestically and takes over on the latter of this track, New Signs of Life is a fully fleshed-out, hi-fi representation of a band that will always maintain the hunger and desire for an elevated sound.