Here’s Everything We Know About The New Gang Of Youths Album
It's called 'angel in realtime.', and it's all about grief, death, and God.
Well, the wait is finally over: Gang of Youths, one of the most titanic and original bands in Australia, have announced their new album, angel in realtime.
The album, the band’s third, is due on Friday February 25. But never fear — if you’re hankering for a taste of the thing, Gang of Youths have you covered, dropping their new single ‘Tend The Garden’ this morning. It’s a deviation from the band’s usual blend of power-rock and anthemic choruses, showcasing their softer, subtler side. Never content merely to stay still, the band have evolved once again, shaking up their formula and plunging deeper into the depths of darkness and yes, some kind of hope.
There’s a lot of information floating around about the new record — the band have released statements, dropped interviews, and teased fans with cryptic hotlines. So here’s the summa of what you need to know.
Let’s dive in.
Angel In Realtime Boasts Gang Of Youths’ Meatiest Thematic Material Yet
Gang of Youths have always shied away from making their albums about just one thing — The Positions, their debut, touched on everything from adolescence to depression to religion. In that way, angel in realtime. appears to be something of a deviation from the norm — though not explicitly a concept record, the album has one major thematic throughline.
“The album is about the life and legacy of Dave’s father, indigenous identity, death, grief and God. And also the Angel, Islington,” the band explained in a statement, as reported by MusicFeeds.
God and grief are not new themes to tackle for the band, but the legacy of lead singer Dave Le’aupepe’s father certainly is. Does this mean we’ll be getting the band at their most autobiographical? Sure sounds like it.
The New Single Teases A More Melancholy Gang Of Youths
‘Tend The Garden’, the first real taste of the new album, is a shimmering, beautiful tune, filled with a deep sense of sadness and an even deeper sense of resilience. Le’aupepe has explained that it was inspired by his father’s love of gardening, and sees it as a microcosm of an entire life lived well.
“My dad was a gifted and passionate gardener,” Le’aupepe explains. “It’s where he funnelled a lot of his energy and sensitivity, and despite our humble economic status, we were always surrounded by beauty. The journey he made from Samoa to NZ to Australia was a difficult and inspiring one, but also fraught with mistakes, regret and terrible choices.
“I like to think he was building something beautiful, and pondering what life had given him in spite of his mistakes and concealment. We never knew his story until after he died, so this is the most poetic interpretation of his affinity for gardening that I could think of.”
Sonically, The Album Will Be The Band’s Widest-Ranging Yet
Angel in realtime. has been described as “eclectic”, taking on a range of different influences from band’s all over the world. According to a press release, the band have submerged themselves in everything from American minimalism — think the likes of John Adams — to Britain’s indie rock scene, to drum n’ bass to Britpop.
But despite these disparate reference points, the album will also have its own sonic guiding light, namely music drawn from Le’aupepe’s Samoan heritage. “The majority of tracks” will feature samples from David Fanshawe’s famous field recordings, taken across the Polynesian islands, and displaying the full breadth and astonishing talent of folk Samoan tunes.
Moreover, the band have enlisted the help of “a cast of talented Pasifika and Māori vocalists and instrumentalists”, making this the first time that Gang of Youths have gone deep on traditional songwriting and instrumentation.
It’ll Break Your Heart
If there’s one thing that Gang of Youths know how to do, it’s annihilating the listener, drilling deep into trauma and recovery with a single-minded sense of honesty. And by the sounds of it, angel in realtime. will follow in that proud tradition, with Le’aupepe giving a succinct, moving statement about his hopes for the record.
“I hope the record stands as a monument to the man my father was and remains long after I’m gone myself,” Le’aupepe says. “He deserved it.”
Yep, looks like we’ll all be crying come February.
Photo Credit: Ed Cooke