Elton John was right: the Gabriel band is truly a pearl of neo soul music

But the trio is likely to lose lead singer soon; Jacob Lusk is too old not to have a solo career

This is the good news that has aroused London critics. Gabriel is a soul-gospel-disco trio, or something similar, that emerged in 2021 with a five-track EP, without much fanfare but with some very well directed clips. It might be something passable among so much good news from London were it not for the existence of one of those rare singers who carries a star above his head called Jacob Lux. Lusk, an American, was a choir director after going through an edition of American idol, 2011, in second place. His partners are instrumentalists Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope. Hope, an Englishman living in Los Angeles, was the one who called the St. Gabriels Avenue, inspired by the street in Sunderland, England, where he grew up. Too big, it ended up being shortened to Gabriels.

And a little bit of history is still worth it: the debut EP, Love and hate in a different time, was considered by Elton John “one of the most seminal records I have heard in the past decade”. They just played at the Glastonbury Festival in June, and this record now, Angels and queenswrote the London newspaper The Guardian ask a question: “Could this be the album of the year?”

These are not rhetorical exaggerations. Angels and queens, the album, has special powers and freshness on a hard-to-be-original subject, black American music. It opens with the song of the same name, Angels and queens, indicating everything to come next: groove, funk, warmth, some disco spice, light electronic surprises and the voice of Lusk, Lusk’s great whispered voice, imbued with Prince (most evident in the first track). But things don’t stop at the soul’s past, and maybe that’s why it brings a hint of remembrance of Amy Winehouse. The track that follows taboo, shows some healthy pauses while compromising its pop grip power a little too. Time is broken, Balouzian’s strings (violin, cello) enter and Lusk sings with drama and fear. The album continues with Remember mea tasty soul; If only you knewa wonderfully tearful ballad; To the moon and backmore theater and violin strings; The blind man, revolutions in the arrangement for something that would be simply simple; And mom, sad, mysterious and sublime. Elton John was right

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Source: Terra

Emily

Emily Jhon is a product and service reviewer at Gossipify, known for her honest evaluations and thorough analysis. With a background in marketing and consumer research, she offers valuable insights to readers. She has been writing for Gossipify for several years and has a degree in Marketing and Consumer Research from the University of Oxford.