Music about the death of a loved one doesn't usually sound this joyous.
Listen to some of the most acclaimed indie rock records about loss and grief from the last few years — Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked at Me, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Ghosteen, Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell — and you're in for beautifully devastating meditations on what it means to lose a person you love. That's not the case with Gang of Youths' angel in realtime. The Australian rock band's third album revolves around singer David Le'aupepe making sense of his life after the death of his father, Teleso "Tattersall" Le'aupepe. What unfolds is a captivating story that spans continents, cultures and generations as a son unlocks the mysteries of his father's life and finds answers — and inner peace — in his family tree. Far from mournful, angel in realtime is an inspiring, uplifting record that's full of voices, laughter and stories.
This is to be expected from Gang of Youths. Le'aupepe's default response to his personal history of struggle and adversity — a wife with cancer, a divorce, a suicide attempt — has been to channel it into rousing, arena-ready rock 'n' roll music that encourages you to shout and pump your fist over the joy of existence. The band's determined 2015 debut The Positions and magnificent 2017 follow-up Go Farther in Lightness established them as one of the most impassioned, life-affirming rock bands out there today. Basically, Gang of Youths approach their music as if exercising every fibre of hope, passion and resilience could be potentially life-saving, and that falling short of that standard ought to be considered a cataclysmic failure — and they do so with such sincerity that it's been met with plenty of skepticism (leading one critic to wonder if they're "too earnest for America").
Gang of Youths know this. So while angel in realtime glows with the same emotional intensity and utmost sincerity, it does cut the "bogus, rock-y shit" (Le'aupepe's words) of the band's previous releases. They've replaced it with richer storytelling and an eclectic sound that takes inspiration from contemporary classical, Britpop and drum n' bass, along with contributions from the Auckland Gospel Choir and numerous recordings of choirs from Polynesia and the South Pacific islands (some new and others from the archives of English composer David Fanshawe). Here, the almighty guitar stands down to make way for percussive elements, traditional Indigenous music and even more string arrangements with the addition of violinist and keyboardist Tom Hobden. Together, it makes for a hugely orchestral, euphoric modern rock record that's imbued with the sounds of Le'aupepe and his family's heritage and identity.
The band begins by honouring the memory of Le'aupepe's late father on "you in everything," a beautifully written opener that introduces the record's symphonic, cinematic sound. With unmistakable warmth and emotion in his voice, Le'aupepe goes on to contemplate the reality of moving on without his father's guiding light in his life, all while discovering the things that Tattersall kept hidden — including a previous family back in his home of Samoa — and forming a life-changing connection with his ancestral homeland. The band moves through big, anthemic songs like the bright and sunny "in the wake of your leave," the War on Drugs-esque synth rock of "the angel of 8th ave.," and the soaring melodies of "the man himself," as Le'aupepe moves through the stages of grieving with a mixture of fear, regret and determination.
This relentless optimism persists throughout the album, and there are so many other layers that make angel in realtime such a rich and rewarding musical pursuit. Le'aupepe's sense of humour comes through most loudly on the celebratory-sounding "returner," a song that both sarcastically and self-reflectively questions the role of an artist in a capitalist system. "the kingdom is within you" takes the Britpop stylings of Oasis and the Verve and reimagines them with UK garage grooves as Le'aupepe evokes the struggles of Pasifika migrants. "tend the garden" fuses psychedelic folk, drum 'n' bass and chillwave as Le'aupepe does his best to piece together his father's decisions and regrets from his fraught history. The centrepiece of that story is "brothers," a loving, tender piano ballad that tells the tale of Tattersall's long-kept secrets and his children's discovery and forgiveness. All of it culminates in an arresting two-part finale named for the athletic triumphs of Diego Maradona; by the time the curtain closes on "goal of the century," there's a good chance it'll bring a tear to your eye.
Musically, lyrically and thematically, there's so much packed into this record, yet it doesn't feel overstuffed. angel in realtime is full of emotional complexity, cultural exploration and ancestral connection, complete with Le'aupepe's Aussie sense of humour and barbs of sociopolitical commentary. Ultimately, it's a monument to the love that's shared between an adoring parent and their child, and the imprint of that love which endures for a lifetime.
In all of its grandiose storytelling, angel in realtime remains just a small step away from a musical theatre production. The characters and settings are written in vivid detail, the narrative is expertly crafted with flashes between past and present, and the music feels predestined for the drama and showmanship of a theatrical stage. Gang of Youths wouldn't dare call it a "rock opera," but it basically is — and a great one, too. Without changing the fundamental spirit that has made them such recognizable (though underappreciated) figures in rock music, they've burst out of the confines of "rock" to make something that's legitimately transcendent. angel in realtime is a profoundly beautiful, meaningful album from a band that has decided that every record might as well be a new magnum opus.
(Warner)Listen to some of the most acclaimed indie rock records about loss and grief from the last few years — Mount Eerie's A Crow Looked at Me, Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds' Ghosteen, Sufjan Stevens' Carrie & Lowell — and you're in for beautifully devastating meditations on what it means to lose a person you love. That's not the case with Gang of Youths' angel in realtime. The Australian rock band's third album revolves around singer David Le'aupepe making sense of his life after the death of his father, Teleso "Tattersall" Le'aupepe. What unfolds is a captivating story that spans continents, cultures and generations as a son unlocks the mysteries of his father's life and finds answers — and inner peace — in his family tree. Far from mournful, angel in realtime is an inspiring, uplifting record that's full of voices, laughter and stories.
This is to be expected from Gang of Youths. Le'aupepe's default response to his personal history of struggle and adversity — a wife with cancer, a divorce, a suicide attempt — has been to channel it into rousing, arena-ready rock 'n' roll music that encourages you to shout and pump your fist over the joy of existence. The band's determined 2015 debut The Positions and magnificent 2017 follow-up Go Farther in Lightness established them as one of the most impassioned, life-affirming rock bands out there today. Basically, Gang of Youths approach their music as if exercising every fibre of hope, passion and resilience could be potentially life-saving, and that falling short of that standard ought to be considered a cataclysmic failure — and they do so with such sincerity that it's been met with plenty of skepticism (leading one critic to wonder if they're "too earnest for America").
Gang of Youths know this. So while angel in realtime glows with the same emotional intensity and utmost sincerity, it does cut the "bogus, rock-y shit" (Le'aupepe's words) of the band's previous releases. They've replaced it with richer storytelling and an eclectic sound that takes inspiration from contemporary classical, Britpop and drum n' bass, along with contributions from the Auckland Gospel Choir and numerous recordings of choirs from Polynesia and the South Pacific islands (some new and others from the archives of English composer David Fanshawe). Here, the almighty guitar stands down to make way for percussive elements, traditional Indigenous music and even more string arrangements with the addition of violinist and keyboardist Tom Hobden. Together, it makes for a hugely orchestral, euphoric modern rock record that's imbued with the sounds of Le'aupepe and his family's heritage and identity.
The band begins by honouring the memory of Le'aupepe's late father on "you in everything," a beautifully written opener that introduces the record's symphonic, cinematic sound. With unmistakable warmth and emotion in his voice, Le'aupepe goes on to contemplate the reality of moving on without his father's guiding light in his life, all while discovering the things that Tattersall kept hidden — including a previous family back in his home of Samoa — and forming a life-changing connection with his ancestral homeland. The band moves through big, anthemic songs like the bright and sunny "in the wake of your leave," the War on Drugs-esque synth rock of "the angel of 8th ave.," and the soaring melodies of "the man himself," as Le'aupepe moves through the stages of grieving with a mixture of fear, regret and determination.
This relentless optimism persists throughout the album, and there are so many other layers that make angel in realtime such a rich and rewarding musical pursuit. Le'aupepe's sense of humour comes through most loudly on the celebratory-sounding "returner," a song that both sarcastically and self-reflectively questions the role of an artist in a capitalist system. "the kingdom is within you" takes the Britpop stylings of Oasis and the Verve and reimagines them with UK garage grooves as Le'aupepe evokes the struggles of Pasifika migrants. "tend the garden" fuses psychedelic folk, drum 'n' bass and chillwave as Le'aupepe does his best to piece together his father's decisions and regrets from his fraught history. The centrepiece of that story is "brothers," a loving, tender piano ballad that tells the tale of Tattersall's long-kept secrets and his children's discovery and forgiveness. All of it culminates in an arresting two-part finale named for the athletic triumphs of Diego Maradona; by the time the curtain closes on "goal of the century," there's a good chance it'll bring a tear to your eye.
Musically, lyrically and thematically, there's so much packed into this record, yet it doesn't feel overstuffed. angel in realtime is full of emotional complexity, cultural exploration and ancestral connection, complete with Le'aupepe's Aussie sense of humour and barbs of sociopolitical commentary. Ultimately, it's a monument to the love that's shared between an adoring parent and their child, and the imprint of that love which endures for a lifetime.
In all of its grandiose storytelling, angel in realtime remains just a small step away from a musical theatre production. The characters and settings are written in vivid detail, the narrative is expertly crafted with flashes between past and present, and the music feels predestined for the drama and showmanship of a theatrical stage. Gang of Youths wouldn't dare call it a "rock opera," but it basically is — and a great one, too. Without changing the fundamental spirit that has made them such recognizable (though underappreciated) figures in rock music, they've burst out of the confines of "rock" to make something that's legitimately transcendent. angel in realtime is a profoundly beautiful, meaningful album from a band that has decided that every record might as well be a new magnum opus.
