Though grandeur has always been a cornerstone of their sound, Gang Of Youths’ long-awaited third album, Angel In Realtime, takes the Sydney-native, London-based outfit to new heights of sonic opulence. It’s a conceptual epic, following frontman Dave Le’aupepe on a personal journey as learns about his estranged father’s heritage and background – much of which was kept was kept secret – in the wake of his death. As such, it far eschews the dancey indie-rock slant of the band’s first two records, and dives deep into the well of widescreen theatre-pop they’d only touched on scantly prior.
Part of the musical shift comes down to a change in personnel: the band’s lead guitarist, Joji Malani, left the fold in 2019, leaving Jung Kim – who formerly held down the sports an expansive and experimental palette, building lush gardens of musicality for Le’aupepe’s reverberant tenor to frolic through.
