I have written so much about this incredible band since they launched on to the scene a couple of years ago with their mindblowing single, Love And Hate In A Different Time. Because I have written sheaves, I will be brief here. If you are hungry for more, you can always read my five-star Louder Than War review for Angels & Queens right here.
Briefly, Gabriels’ blend of gospel, soul, R&B and sublime pop hooks is like something from the thirties, whilst also managing to simultaneously sound utterly contemporary. Furthermore, vocalist Jacob Lusk possesses the greatest active voice in the world right now. They are utterly exhilarating and totally unique.
Aside from the epic Love And Hate In A Different Time, highlights include the stunning We Will Remember; an ambitious re-working of the classic Lloyd Webber showtune, Memory. When you decide to tackle a tune made famous by both Elaine Paige and Barbra Streisand you better be confident in your ability to carry it off. Incredibly, Gabriels make it entirely their own by backing Jacob Lusk’s dramatic vocal with a glitchy breakbeat. This fragments and then morphs into a more conventional delivery, providing an outstanding vehicle for that astonishing voice.
Changing tempo, burning adrenalin like rocket fuel, the Hi NRG of Glory utterly thrills. It’s the closest thing you will hear to Sylvester’s classic You Make Me Feel (Mighty Real). Following that, there is the promise of a ballad that tricks us by subsequently blossoming into something huge and pulsating. Great Wind is like Glory’s more unpredictable twin sister. On steroids. Effortlessly, purposefully, it billows through phases, from introverted and thoughtful to high octane disco.
Angels & Queens is an absolute triumph. By the way, they aren’t too shabby in a live setting either.
the dark flux 