Album Review: Gang of Youths - angel in realtime

Content Warning: discussion of death and grief

In 2018, Dave Le’aupepe lost his father. While exploring his ancestry, he soon uncovered some buried secrets. His father was born in Samoa in 1938, not New Zealand in 1948 as Le’aupepe had been convinced. He discovered his father had two sons before him, who had been abandoned in New Zealand. After over four years since the release of their award-winning record Go Farther in Lightness, the Australian five-piece band Gang of Youths is back with their third album – and better than ever. angel in realtime reflects on the frontman’s profound revelations about his father, long-lost brothers, life, love, and death.

Strings swell and die away like waves of grief

From the very first moment of the album, in ‘you in everything,’ you are immersed in the sublime sound-world you’ll be living in for the next hour; gentle synths and swirling strings slowly building anticipation as Le’aupepe recounts his father’s final days and confesses his struggle in imagining how to navigate a life without his father’s guidance. Strings swell and die away like waves of grief, sometimes humbly tucked away in the background, other times as prominent as Le’aupepe’s voice as he insists ‘I will look for you every time.’ For an opener that lasts seven minutes, it doesn’t drag for a single second. Gang of Youths have certainly mastered the art of writing long songs and know how to keep listeners engaged in every moment, every beat.

The next two tracks, ‘in the wake of your leave’ and ‘the angel of 8th ave.,’ are shining examples of the band’s flawless crafting of euphoric anthems. These are the kind of songs that you can imagine accompanying you alongside huge milestones in your life, songs that encapsulate those bigger-than-words feelings better than anything else. Despite the pensive and personal lyrics, both songs remain upbeat and bright, driven forward by Max Dunn’s dynamic bass lines and Donnie Borzestowski’s energised drums, abundant with life-affirming warmth and passion.

The space between this album and their second saw the departure of lead guitarist Joji Malani from the band, and the welcoming of violinist Tom Hobden (formerly of Noah and the Whale). The quintet has confidently redefined their sound following Malani’s exit, moving away from their roots as a heavily guitar-oriented band and towards a more highly orchestrated sound, full to the brim with rich shimmering string arrangements: yet another way they continue to wear their heart on their sleeve. Hobden’s strings are flawless, unique in their reinvention on each song: persistent and catchy on ‘returner’ and ‘the man himself,’ crystalline and gentle on the awe-inspiring ‘forbearance’ – chill-inducing every time.

The album is a sonic tapestry of Le’aupepe’s heritage

The album is a sonic tapestry of Le’aupepe’s heritage, interlacing the sounds of Pacific Islander choirs – some recorded by the band, others extracted from the work of composer David Fanshawe – between the sounds that the band have been working with for years. The chants of Indigenous people, heard throughout from the album’s beginning to its end, transform the band’s sound in the same way that uncovering his own culture completely changed Le’aupepe’s life. Not only has the singer taken this opportunity to channel his grief through his beautifully articulate lyrics, but by delving into his own cultural identity through these newly discovered Pacific sounds, he has had the chance to feel closer to his father in ways he has never felt before, even after his death.

These Indigenous vocal samples feature heavily on the album’s monumental and relentlessly rousing ‘unison,’ conceived in Samoa. The interplay of instruments is impeccable, everyone getting their own moments to shine. Each word is sincere, dripping with unbridled emotion, intensified even further by the soaring brass and strings that dominate the climax. It is impossible not to feel on top of the world while listening to this. No words can quite praise this song to the extent it deserves: a masterclass in songwriting.

Diving into a world of captivating synths and heartfelt piano, ‘tend the garden’ speaks from Le’aupepe’s father’s point of view, retelling his story as he tries to comprehend why his father abandoned his first two sons. There is a compelling sense of empathy, as the singer acknowledges the pain and regret that must have been weighing on his father his entire life: ‘Lord knows if they would ever forgive me / I won’t forgive myself at least.’

The band desperately search for ‘the upside of it’ in ‘the kingdom is within you,’ anthemic optimism tinged with sadness: a poignant portrayal of grief. The importance of the album’s theme of acceptance is driven home in ‘spirit boy,’ ‘gotta give it time’ repeated like a mantra over an instrumental that would perfectly fit in the final scene of a coming-of-age film.

Not only do Gang of Youths confront such sensitive and deeply personal experiences with unbounded honesty and care, but they do it in a way that makes it accessible for everyone

Le’aupepe’s earnest storytelling is showcased in the deeply emotive ‘brothers,’ the simple, stripped-back piano accompaniment narrowing your attention to focus intently on his words. Lines like ‘I hate myself for stealing all his love when my brothers thought that he was dead,’ are so powerful they hit like a sucker punch. Not only do Gang of Youths confront such sensitive and deeply personal experiences with unbounded honesty and care, but they do it in a way that makes it accessible for everyone. Though not every listener can relate to lyrics so specific to Le’aupepe’s story, we are all unified under the feelings the band express through their music; our situations might not be the same, but we have all experienced the same emotions in our lifetimes.

angel in realtime ends with a powerful 10-minute odyssey, tender hymnal ‘hand of god’ blending seamlessly into the colossal ‘goal of the century,’ rising string ostinatos and uplifting chords coming together to create a sonic ascent into heaven, building that euphoric feeling piece by piece the way they do best. The final lines are guaranteed to give you chills.

This cathartic, symphonic rock is the perfect vessel for everything they aim for

Gang of Youths are no strangers to exploring the depths of life’s darkest, most painful moments, all the while proving that they can be overcome by keeping a strong grip on hope – angel in realtime is no exception. For an album addressing themes as heavy as loss, death, and life-changing secrets, it never becomes bleak or miserable, each moment beaming with brightness. The band have arrived at a sound that is so unique to them, exploring new stretches in their boundless potential with conviction and confidence, as though they have been working towards this place all along. This cathartic, symphonic rock is the perfect vessel for everything they aim for. Their beautifully euphoric music prompts you to reflect on the beautifully euphoric moments of your own life. Le’aupepe wants the world to remember the story of his father, who now lives on through this album, because if angel in realtime is anything, it is unforgettable.