Gabriels
Angels & Queens – Part 1
Atlas/Elektra
Buy via Official Store | Listen Below
I am a recovering Catholic. My morals, my code, my sense of right and wrong came from the upbringing my parents gave me in a Catholic tradition. As I grew older and saw the evil done by man in the name of God, my faith dissipated. When music began to become my biggest passion and I went beyond the notes and became interested in the production, history and social value of music, the role of faith (in most cases a gospel tradition) became an integral part of the music I loved.
Sam Cooke turned the world upside down when he swapped out the lyrics of a gospel song for secular ones, thus cementing the creation of soul music that had been formed by many Black men and women from the gospel, jazz and blues that preceded it. Furthermore, Quincy Jones talked about “leaving space for God” in his productions including those that guided Michael Jackson to the highest of heights. Countless others straddled the line between sacred and profane, turbocharging their music in the process.
Jacob Lusk is most definitely raised in this tradition. Alongside him, Ryan Hope (a British producer/keyboard player) and LA composer Ari Balouzian make up Gabriels—one of the hottest musical acts of 2022. Having first worked together in 2018, it was their EP Love And Hate In A Different Time from last year that saw them gain acclaim and become a name to watch out for. On top of his stunning vocal abilities (of which more, later), Lusk is a magnetic and charismatic lead of the group as shown by the group’s appearance on Jools Holland’s show in the UK and their barnstorming slot at Glastonbury 2022.
This debut album clocks in at a sparse 27 minutes, but those minutes pack a punch far greater than you might expect. There is hope, heartbreak and more in between—all with every drop of emotion wrung out by the sheer wonder of Lusk’s voice. On the jittery string-laden “Taboo,” he howls sweetly with forbidden desire. On “The Blind,” he vacillates between disappointment and concealed rage, making every single syllable count. As it comes to its startling conclusion, his voice drops lower and lower to reveal the cavernous hole in his chest where his heart used to be.
There is a moment too during “Remember Me” when he delays singing “some space. . . to breathe . . .” and the tenderness with which he finally whispers it seems to make the earth stop spinning on its axis for a moment and assure you that despite all the shit, things will actually be ok.
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It would be easy to lump the group in with the countless other groups who hark back to soul eras gone by, but there is a fresh edge given to them by the production from Kendrick Lamar producer Sounwave. The best points come when Lusk’s majestic vocals are matched with sweeping musical drama. His stutter is on a knife edge throughout “Taboo” and when his voice is paired with it, it is elevated to a hauntingly memorable wonder. The same can be said of “The Blind,” whose stately pace and nerve-wracking piano combine with his forlorn tones to etch the song indelibly on the brain.
Other songs like the excellent title track, with its mid-tempo groove are also elevated by his vocals, but they don’t reach the transcendent heights of the aforementioned songs that drip with intensity and leave the listener hanging, bereft at their end. A second part is due to arrive in March 2023 and those 6 months feel like an eternity in the wake of this wonderful album.
Notable Tracks: “The Blind” | “Mama” | “Taboo”
BUY Angels & Queens – Part 1 via Gabriels’ Official Store
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