Angel in Realtime[a] is the third studio album by Australianalternative rock bandGang of Youths, released on 25 February 2022 through Mosy Recordings. Written over the four years following the death offrontmanDavid Le'aupepe's father, the album lyrically focuses on the emotions that arise from mourning, coming to terms withloss, and discovering family identity in thePacific Islands. It consistently uses vocal and instrumental samples fromIndigenous musicians collected by explorerDavid Fanshawe, marking a significant sonic departure from their previous album,Go Farther in Lightness (2017).
Supported by a world tour commencing inDublin in March 2022,Angel in Realtime became the band's second album to debut at number one on theARIA Albums Chart. The album was lauded by many critics, who particularly praised the lyricism and storytelling. Multiple outlets recognised it as the band's best work, however some found issue with the length anddensity.Angel in Realtime was nominated forAlbum of the Year,Best Group andBest Rock Album at the2022 ARIA Music Awards, while winning Australian Album of the Year at theJ Awards.
Following the release of their second studio albumGo Farther in Lightness (2017), Gang of Youths relocated to London.[3][4] In 2018, Teleso Le'aupepe, the father of frontman David, died of cancer.[5] On his deathbed, he hinted that there were a number of secrets to be discovered inPolynesia – a surprise to his family,[6] as Le'aupepe had always been insistent of his upbringing in New Zealand before settling in Sydney. David Le'aupepe and his wife travelled toSamoa, where it was revealed his father had disappeared to Australia in the 1970s, leaving behind two sons.[2] This story is later recited in the album'spiano ballad, "Brothers".[3]
In 2019, founding member and guitarist Joji Malani amicably left the band.[7] The following year, multi-instrumentalist Tom Hobden ofNoah and the Whale joined as violinist.[8] In July 2021, the bandsurprise released their secondEPTotal Serene, containing three tracks.[9] Two of them – "The Angel of 8th Ave." (June) and "Unison" – would be included onAngel in Realtime. The former debuted at number 48 on theARIA Singles Chart,[10] and would later poll at number six in theTriple J Hottest 100 of 2021.[11]Total Serene was the first collection of new music from Gang of Youths sinceGo Farther in Lightness.[9]
Angel in Realtime was recorded in various countries and took four years to complete.[12] It was primarily self-produced at the band's own studio in London,[13] however Peter Hutchings andPeter Katis are also credited for production on two tracks[14] – Katis had mixed their first two albums.[15] With Le'aupepe as leadsongwriter, the other band members had not heard the bulk of the lyricism until the final two weeks recording – he finished writing "Goal of the Century" the morning it was due to be produced.[13]
Sonically, the album relies heavily on samples ofIndigenous music from thePacific Islands, collected by English explorer and composerDavid Fanshawe. The band received permission from David's wife to use the recordings.[2] Lead single "The Man Himself" employs recordings of anImene tuki, apolyrhythmic hymn, fromMangaia in theCook Islands.[4] "In the Wake of Your Leave" features backing harmonies from the Auckland Gospel Choir and percussion by a number of drummers from the island,[16] while "Spirit Boy" interpolates musician Shane McLean "speaking a Kōrero poem in the track's breakdown before it gets swept up into string-laden revelry".[3][17]
The chorus of "The Man Himself" finds Le'aupepe struggling to come to terms with the loss of his father. It interpolates recordings byDavid Fanshawe of voices from people ofMangaia.
Penultimate track "Hand of God" transitions into "Goal of the Century" – referencingDiego Maradona'ssuite of goals at the1986 World Cup.[2] The former features only Le'aupepe on vocals and piano with the gospel choir,[18] while the resplendent final track hosts over a dozen guest musicians as well as theBudapest Film Orchestra on strings.[12]
The album has been described by music outlets asalternative rock,[19] with elements ofchamber pop,[20]Britpop[21][22] and Indigenous music.[21][1] Some have also calledAngel in Realtime aconcept album.[23][24][25] Andrew Tendell ofNME noted a sonic shift compared toGo Farther in Lightness, writing the release of "The Angel of 8th Ave." was "marking a transition into their new sound", being their only new song that "sounds anything like [their] previous album".[26]
Lyrically, many of the tracks are dedicated to the life of Le'aupepe's father. "Tend the Garden" is about Teleso's work as a "gifted and passionate gardener", and is written from his perspective, hinting at secrets that would be revealed after his death.[27] Le'aupepe wrote "The Man Himself" regarding the struggles in going through the normalities of life without the guidance of his father.[4] "Brothers" features only the frontman on vocals and piano,[28] reciting the story of discovering his family who had been left behind in Samoa, and coming to terms with his father's deceit.[5] "In the Wake of Your Leave" more broadly discusses grief – when writing, Le'aupepe said: "I wanted to reflect on how I became dependent on grief for solace and inspiration. The cycle from numbness to acceptance to yearning plays a role in my approach to grieving my dad's death."[16]
Not all tracks continue these lyrical themes – "The Angel of 8th Ave." chronicles Le'aupepe's relocation tothe Angel, Islington and meeting his future wife while in New York City.[29] "Returner" is written about Le'aupepe's mental state after performing "21 gigs in 30 days in Australia, on this kind of record run, which I consider a shame and a blight because I wish I could have been my very best". Regarding the song's title, the frontman explained, "It's called 'returner' because my fucking job as a musician is to fucking yield returns."[2]
Gang of Youths (left to right): Donnie Borzestowski, Jung Kim, Max Dunn and David Le'aupepe; performing at Fighting Cocks,Kingston, England, February 2022
"The Man Himself" was released as the album's lead single on 7 October 2021.[4] The track would later poll at number 57 in theTriple J Hottest 100 of 2021.[11]Angel in Realtime was officially announced on 10 November 2021, along with a track list, details of a worldwide tour, and "Tend the Garden", the album's second single.[30][31] The artwork, designed by Bradley Pinkerton, was also issued, featuring the passport photo of Teleso. In December 2021, Gang of Youths performed "The Angel of 8th Ave." live onThe Late Show with Stephen Colbert.[32] "In the Wake of Your Leave" was released as the third single on 7 January 2022,[33] followed by "Spirit Boy" on 22 February 2022.[34] The former track would later poll at number eight in theHottest 100 of 2022.[35] Upon the release ofAngel in Realtime on 25 February 2022, it debuted at number one on theARIA Albums chart, becoming the band's second release to do so.[36] The album also appeared at number six on theScottish albums chart,[37] and at number 10 in theUnited Kingdom.[38]
Gang of Youths performing atRock im Park,Nuremberg in 2022, during the Angel in Realtime Tour.
Gang of Youths embarked on the Angel in Realtime Tour inDublin on 3 March 2022. The first leg originally contained European dates, which were all later postponed to October through to November due toCOVID-19 restrictions.[43][44] Due to electrical issues, thePhiladelphia show transitioned to an acoustic set with only Le'aupepe and Hobden performing.[45] The final show in the third leg, at theEnmore Theatre in Sydney, was advertised as an "intimate acoustic performance" and was notably attended byAustralian Prime MinisterAnthony Albanese.[46][47] The entire fourth leg in North America was cancelled due to health issues relating to Le'aupepe, but the fifth and final leg across Europe resumed.[48]
The tour was acclaimed by a number of reviewers. Writing forThe Music, Christopher Lewis praised Le'aupepe as "the best rock'n'roll performer this country has produced sinceMichael Hutchence".[49] Al Newstead, reviewing for Triple J, called the band'sPerth show an "epic stage production" that finished with a "triumphantencore of the record's epic two-part closer".[50]
Overview of Angel in Realtime Tour dates and locations
Angel in Realtime was released to widespread acclaim. AtMetacritic, which assigns anormalised score out of 100 from the ratings of publications, the album received a score of 76 based on 10 reviews.[51]
The album received high praise for its lyricism. Writing forDork, Josh Williams described the album as "a truly great record that doesn't hold back on its emotions or its storytelling".[53] Matt Collar ofAllMusic shared a similar sentiment, commending the album's themes and noting it as a "deeply personal and autobiographical album, but one filled with a universally relatable emotionality".[52] ForRiff Magazine, Ben Schultz gave the album a perfect score, calling it "deeply personal yet all-embracing in spirit" and being an "early contender for best album of the year".[56] Rhys Buchanan ofNME called the album "some of their finest work so far", writing: "Not only doesAngel in Realtime serve as a soul-stirring tribute to Le'aupepe's late father, but it's also a triumphant exploration of love and life."[55] Many outlets agreedAngel in Realtime was the band's best work; Corbin Reiff ofSpin referred to it as a "maximalist rock opus" and "their best record yet ... one that sets them up for greater success to come".[12] Adam Feibel ofExclaim! praised Le'aupepe's storytelling, calling the album a "profoundly beautiful, meaningful album from a band that has decided that every record might as well be a newmagnum opus".[21]
Some reviewers were critical of the album's tightness.Bernard Zuel ofThe Guardian wrote "for much of the album, air to breathe is rare", but praised its lyricism, continuing "it is not a coincidence that the special moments onAngel in Realtime are the ones that best match the album's particularly personal story".[18] Writing forPitchfork, Shaad D'Souza claimed the album was "occasionally so dense that it's hard to listen to, with layers of interesting ideas compounded to something impenetrable" – also finding fault with its 67-minute duration.[28] Andrew Burton ofThe Line of Best Fit criticised its lyrics that "come off basic and moralizing with lines of saccharine fluff" and claimed "far too many spots onAngel in Realtime are bland, generic, and overly sentimental".[54]
Angel in Realtime was featured several times in various music publications' year-end lists. Citing its "musical power",Riff Magazine named it the best album of 2022, due to "how it made listeners feel, and probably will feel, for years".[57] Australian radio stationDouble J placed the album at number five in their year-end countdown, summarising it as a "remarkable story of multiple lives".[58]Angel in Realtime was also featured in the lists of publicationsEsquire,Exclaim! andPopMatters.[59][60][61]
"Returner" contains samples from "Ute - Cutting Nuts,Aitutaki, Cook Is." from Fanshawe'sSpirit of Polynesia (1995), "Himene Tarava Tamarii Tipaerui,Papa'ete, Tahiti" from Fanshawe'sHeiva I Tahiti (2014) and "Vailoa Mens Chant,Savai'i, Samoa", also recorded by Fanshawe.
"Unison" contains samples from "Himene Tarava 1, Group Tauraatua, Tahiti" fromSpirit of Polynesia and "Himene Tarava Taunoa, Tahiti" from Fanshawe'sPacific Chants – Polynesian Himene (2002).
"Tend the Garden" contains samples from "Muli tu pe, Mu'a, Tongatapu" fromMusic of the South Pacific, Nonesuch Explorer Series (2005) and "Utete Mouth Harps of'Eua, Tongatapu" from Fanshawe'sChants of the Kingdom of Tonga (2008).
"The Kingdom is Within You" contains a sample from "Imene Tuki Penrhyn,Tongareva, Cook Is." fromPacific Chants – Polynesian Himene.
"Forbearance" contains samples from "Poipoi - Taro Pounding, Rapa,Austral Is" and "Bird Dance Hula,O'ahu, Hawai'i" fromSpirit of Polynesia.
"Goal of the Century" contains a sample from "Himene Tarava Pīr'e, Pape'ete, Tahiti" fromPacific Chants – Polynesian Himene.
^ab"Hottest 100 2021".Triple J. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 22 January 2021.Archived from the original on 30 January 2022. Retrieved8 October 2022.
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