Gang of Youths - Angel In Realtime

If the Sydney exports hadn’t made it clear enough yet that they now consider London their collective home, the juxtaposition of penultimate track ‘Hand of God’ with closer ‘Goal of the Century’ might just do it; if the humour is accidental on David Le’aupepe and pals’ part, it’s poetic all the same. ‘Angel In Realtime’, Gang of Youths’ third full-length, is centred on the life of the frontman’s late father; in stripped-back centrepiece ‘Brothers’ we learn there isn’t much he didn’t lie about to his children: he’s a full decade older than they thought; born in another country; not the son of a German Jewish woman. But it’s not a bleak collection: ‘The Kingdom Is Within You’ and ‘Forbearance’ owe much to ‘90s dance euphoria, while ‘Tend The Garden’ sneaks in a little ‘70s soul to the group’s largely driving indie-rock sound. And when things do turn towards the solemn - as on the first half of ‘Unison’ - it’s Matt Berninger’s baritone that springs to mind. David’s own booming vocal sits somewhere between The National frontman, and on the record’s soaring moments, eerily close to Bono. It’s easy to see why Sam Fender took the outfit out on his recent UK arena jaunt, possessed as they are with heartfelt songs based in place and time, with a few fist-to-the-chest moments.