Angels & Queens
A black-and-white photograph of a woman holding a man's head in a baptism-like fashion, with both in waist-high water.
Angels & Queens – Part I cover
Studio album by
Gabriels
ReleasedSeptember 30, 2022 (Part I)
July 7, 2023 (Part II)
GenreSoul
Length27:29 (Part I)
48:57 (Part II)
Label
Producer
  • Ari Balouzian
  • Ryan Hope
  • Jacob Lusk
  • Sounwave
Gabriels chronology
Bloodline
(2021)		 Angels & Queens
(2022)
Singles from Angels & Queens
  1. "Angels & Queens"
    Released: September 7, 2022
  2. "Offering"
    Released: February 17, 2023
  3. "Glory"
    Released: June 2, 2023

Angels & Queens is the debut studio album by Compton, California soul trio Gabriels, released in two parts by Atlas Artists and Parlophone. The first part was released on September 30, 2022, and the second part was released July 7, 2023. The album was produced by the trio – vocalist Jacob Lusk and producers Ari Balouzian and Ryan Hope – and hip hop producer Sounwave, and was announced on September 7, 2022, along with the release of the title track as its lead single. The cover photograph was shot by Melodie McDaniel.

The first part was critically acclaimed and even considered a possible best album of the year by The Guardian's Alexis Petridis. It placed on numerous year-end lists, including 27th on The Guardian's.

Background

In a press release about Part I, the band called it a "unique exploration of love and loss from each of our differing perspectives" which they "were planning to release ... next year, but got the opportunity to collaborate with some of the most amazing people who initially were strangers, but within weeks became family in the most mind blowing process. As the first part of the album was recorded, we knew we wanted to share it with you as soon as possible." Producer Sounwave said he was "instantly drawn in from the raw emotions and how limitless their range was. For this project we wanted to push the boundaries sonically that matched the intense and vulnerable feelings of each song."[1]

Release

The album was first announced on September 7, 2022, with the title track being released as its lead single the same day. The album was set for release in two parts, with the first set to release on September 30 and the second in March 2023, both by Atlas Artists and Parlophone.[2][3][4] On December 2, the trio announced the second part's release date as April 28,[5] but that date changed again to June 16.[6] The latter release date came with the release of the second single, "Offering", which was simultaneously premiered on A Colors Show on February 17.[6][7] "Glory" was released as a single on June 2, with the release date shifted again to July 7.[8] A music video for "Great Wind" was released on July 11, made in collaboration with Omar Karim.[9]

Cover art

The album cover was photographed by Melodie McDaniel, and depicts Lusk receiving an outdoor baptism from his pastor Greta Knox.[10][11] McDaniel and Hope are both members of Roman Coppola's organization the Directors Bureau, and Hope came to McDaniel with the baptismal concept for which she was "immediately on board." The photo was taken in a reservoir in Riverside County, California where actual baptisms are performed. McDaniel said the outdoor environment would "evoke the feelings and culture of the South". Lusk was chosen as the subject both for his role as frontman and his "strong" religious background.[10]

Live

From September 25 through October 3, Gabriels opened for Harry Styles for his residency at the Moody Center in Austin, Texas, part of Styles' Love On Tour concert tour.[12][13][14] On October 7, the group performed at Austin City Limits Music Festival, receiving praise and being said to have turned the festival into "the Austin City Limits Missionary Baptist Church".[14]

On April 14, 2023, the trio performed a 45 minute set on the Gobi Tent stage at the 2023 edition of Coachella.[15][16] The set was praised as "perfect afternoon music" which "everyone was talking about" and was likely to have gotten attendees' group texts buzzing.[15] They were also called the best-dressed group of the day,[15] with all three members in tuxedos and Lusk's outfit – custom-made and planned five months in advance[16] – also including a red cape and brocade overcoat.[15][16] The trio also performed at the festival's second weekend on the same stage on April 21, with the set going well despite some technical difficulties.[17][18]

The group played Primavera Sound in Barcelona on June 2[19] and in Madrid on June 9,[20] and Outside Lands Music and Arts Festival in San Francisco on August 13.[21]

Style and reception

Angels & Queens – Part I ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic88/100[22]
Review scores
SourceRating
Albumism[23]
AllMusic[24]
The Arts Desk[25]
The Daily Telegraph[26]
DIY[27]
The Guardian[28]
Mojo[29]
Angels & Queens – Part II ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic83/100[30]
Review scores
SourceRating
The Arts Desk[31]
Louder Than War[32]
The Daily Telegraph[33]

According to the review aggregator Metacritic, Angels & Queens – Part I received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 88 out of 100 from 5 critic scores.[22]

The Guardian's Alexis Petridis opens his review of Part I by questioning if the project could be album of the year, calling frontman Jacob Lusk "nothing short of incredible" and the album "a powerful half-hour of top-tier songwriting that proves Gabriels are far more than soul revivalists." Petridis focuses praise on "the sound of [Lusk's] voice multitracked to infinity" on piano ballad "If You Only Knew" and the "dense funk" of that song and the title track. Producer Sounwave "helps craft a sound that feels entirely of the moment", shown through the backing instrumental of "The Blind" which "is made of a stumbling, clattering array of samples" with vocals "drenched in backwards reverb" and "the piano and strings battl[ing] for space with droning, overcast synths"; and "To the Moon and Back" which opens with orchestration which "could have transported there directly from a 1940s jazz ballad" but is "swiftly replaced by a cavernous-sounding swirl of massed vocals and an insistent, cyclical bass riff."[28]

The Arts Desk's Peter Quinn calls the project "a collection of seven songs which take you on very different emotional journeys, with structures that take surprising twists and turns and redemptive codas that make your hair stand on end", highlighting the "monstrous snare hits, hysterical strings, forceful horn stabs and hypnotically repeating piano lines" of "Taboo" as "like what might have ensued if J Dilla had chopped up a slice of Philly soul", as well as the "horns surreptitiously sliding into the texture" of "Remember Me" and the "impressively vast wall of vocal harmonies which threatens to bring "Mama" crashing down".[25] The Daily Telegraph's James Hall calls the album "intricately arranged and replete with daring orchestrations", saying it "somehow manages to comprise mid-paced music you can dance to and dance rhythms you can chill to." Hope and Balouzian "bring depth and nuance to every track."[26]

Albumism's Patrick Corcoran says the album "clocks in at a sparse 27 minutes, but those minutes pack a punch far greater than you might expect."[23] Dazed's Emmanuel Onapa calls the album "a rare exploration of love and loss through [the trio's] collective but different perspectives, melding a range of styles from classic R&B, jazz, soul and gospel filled with hope and euphoria."[34] The Independent's Kevin EG Perry says that Lusk "channels Nina Simone and Billie Holiday as he wrings every drop of emotion from the group's songs of love and loss."[35]

Year-end lists

Angels & Queens – Part I on year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
Albumism 45 [36]
The Economist — [37]
God Is in the TV 43 [38]
The Guardian 27 [39]
Louder Than War 35 [40]
Mojo 25 [41]
PopMatters 17 [42]
The Sunday Times 17 [43]
Angels & Queens – Part 2 pn year-end lists
Publication # Ref.
BBC Radio 6 Music — [44]
Mojo 62 [45]

Track listing

All tracks are written by Ari Balouzian, Jacob Lusk, Ryan Hope, and Mark Anthony Spears with additional writers noted. All track produced by Balouzian, Lusk, Hope, and Sounwave

Angels & Queens – Part I track listing
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Angels & Queens"John Anderson3:20
2."Taboo" 3:10
3."Remember Me" 3:50
4."If You Only Knew"Sam Beste4:12
5."To the Moon and Back" 3:27
6."The Blind" 4:16
7."Mama" 5:14
Total length:27:29
Angels & Queens – Part II track listing[5]
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Offering" 3:09
2."The Blind" 4:16
3."Angels & Queens"John Anderson3:19
4."Taboo" 3:09
5."To the Moon and Back"Sam Beste3:27
6."Professional" 4:01
7."We Will Remember" 3:49
8."Remember Me" 3:50
9."If You Only Knew" 4:12
10."Love and Hate in a Different Time" 3:48
11."Glory" 2:44
12."Great Wind" 3:59
13."Mama" 5:14
Total length:48:57

Personnel

Part I

  • Jacob Lusk – vocals
  • Ari Balouzian – piano, synthesizer, violin, viola, cello, string arrangement
  • Sounwave – drum programming, timpani
  • Sam Beste – additional production, piano, synthesizer
  • Matt Schaeffer – drums, guitar
  • Trevor Estes – drums, percussion
  • John Anderson – engineer, guitar, bass
  • Malik Taylor – French horn
  • Max Whipple – horns arrangement, bass
  • Fabio Santana De Souza and Garret Smith – trombone
  • Todd M. Simon – trumpet, flugelhorn
  • P. Blake Cooper – tuba
  • Neil Charles – bass
  • Anthony Patler – organ, synthesizer, bass
  • Isaiah Gage – cello
  • Rico Nichols – drums
  • Mike Haldemann – guitar
  • George Janho, Richard Woodcraft, and Ryan Nasci – engineers
  • Beach Noise – mixing engineer
  • Matt Colton and Mike Hillier – mastering engineers

Charts

Chart performance for Angels & Queens – Pt 1
Chart (2022–2023) Peak
position
Scottish Albums (OCC)[46] 4
UK Albums (OCC)[47] 25
Chart performance for Angels & Queens – Pt 2
Chart (2023) Peak
position
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[48] 14
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[49] 157
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[50] 37
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[51] 29
UK Albums (OCC)[52] 3
UK R&B Albums (OCC)[53] 1

References

  1. ↑ Major, Michael (September 30, 2022). "Gabriels Release Debut Album Angels & Queens". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  2. ↑ Jones, Damian (September 7, 2022). "Gabriels announce debut album and share title track "Angels & Queens"". NME. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  3. ↑ Murray, Robin (September 8, 2022). "Gabriels Announce Debut Album Angels & Queens". Clash. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  4. ↑ Major, Michael (September 7, 2022). "Gabriels Announce Debut Album Angels & Queens". BroadwayWorld. Retrieved September 9, 2022.
  5. 1 2 Kenneally, Cerys (December 2, 2022). "Gabriels to release part two of debut album Angels & Queens in April 2023". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved April 15, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Watson, Elly (February 17, 2023). "Gabriels Premiere New Track "Offering" on Colors". DIY. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  7. ↑ Kenneally, Cerys (February 17, 2023). "Gabriels debut new song "Offering" during Colors show". The Line of Best Fit. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  8. ↑ Murray, Robin (June 2, 2023). "Gabriels Share Righteous New Single "Glory"". Clash. Retrieved June 2, 2023.
  9. ↑ O'Connor, Siobhain (July 13, 2023). "Gabriels Have Unveiled a Video for "Great Wind"". Dork. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  10. 1 2 "Director Melodie McDaniel on Photographing Gabriels and Making Melancholy Magic". Little Black Book. March 3, 2023. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  11. ↑ McDaniel, Melodie (February 27, 2023). "Viewing Cultural Representation Through a Wider Lens". Muse by Clio. Retrieved April 30, 2023.
  12. ↑ Rascoe, Rachel (September 9, 2022). "Faster Than Sound: Unpacking Harry Styles' Austin Run With the Professor Teaching a Class on Him". The Austin Chronicle. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  13. ↑ Kambasha, Michelle (October 3, 2022). "Gabriels: swooning, all-embracing soul fusion adored by Harry Styles and Elton John". NME. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  14. 1 2 Hopkins, Earl (October 7, 2023). "Gabriels opened for Harry Styles. Then they blew ACL Fest away". Austin American-Statesman. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Gentile, Dan (April 15, 2023). "Gabriels was the surprise Coachella opener everyone was talking about". SFGATE. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 Franko, Vanessa (April 19, 2023). "Go behind the scenes at Coachella for Gabriels' festival debut". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  17. ↑ Torres, Eric (April 20, 2023). "Coachella 2023 Weekend 2 Lineup & Schedule: All the Set Times You Need to Know". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  18. ↑ Poblete, Greg (April 22, 2023). "Coachella 2023 Weekend Two Day One Review – Bad Bunny Celebrates Latin Culture, The Weeknd Surprises Fans Again During Metro Boomin' Set, Gorillaz Bring Tons of Guests". Mxdwn.com. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  19. ↑ Monroe, Jazz (November 29, 2022). "Primavera 2023 Lineup: Blur, Kendrick Lamar, Depeche Mode, and More". Pitchfork. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  20. ↑ Krueger, Jonah (April 12, 2023). "Primavera Sound Madrid Organizers on Integrating Inaugural Fest into "the Cultural Life of the City"". Consequence. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  21. ↑ Vaziri, Aidin (April 18, 2023). "Outside Lands 2023: Daily lineups and single-day tickets are here". San Francisco Chronicle. Retrieved May 10, 2023.
  22. 1 2 "Angels & Queens – Part I by Gabriels Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  23. 1 2 Corcoran, Patrick (October 5, 2022). "Gabriels Combine Heavenly Sounds with Stately Substance on Debut Album Angels & Queens – Part 1". Albumism. Retrieved October 6, 2022.
  24. ↑ Kellman, Andy. "Gabriels – Angels & Queens, Pt. 1". AllMusic. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  25. 1 2 Quinn, Peter (September 24, 2022). "Album: Gabriels – Angels & Queens, Part I". The Arts Desk. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  26. 1 2 Hall, James (September 30, 2022). "Gabriels, Angels & Queens Part I". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  27. ↑ Martin, Bella (September 30, 2022). "Gabriels – Angels & Queens". DIY. Retrieved October 8, 2022.
  28. 1 2 Petridis, Alexis (September 29, 2022). "Gabriels: Angels and Queens Part One review – could this be the album of the year?". The Guardian. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  29. ↑ Doyle, Tom (December 2022). "Gabriels – Angels & Queens – Part I". Mojo. p. 84. Retrieved May 2, 2023.
  30. ↑ "Angels & Queens by Gabriels Reviews and Tracks". Metacritic. Retrieved September 8, 2023.
  31. ↑ Amour, Cheri (July 6, 2023). "Album: Gabriels – Angels & Queens – Part II". The Arts Desk. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  32. ↑ Rutherford, Gordon (July 4, 2023). "Gabriels: Angels & Queens – album review". Louder Than War. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  33. ↑ Diggins, Alex (July 7, 2023). "Gabriels, Angels & Queens Part II". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved July 8, 2023.
  34. ↑ Onapa, Emmanuel (September 27, 2022). "Jacob Lusk: An American Idol survivor making his own stage". Dazed. Retrieved September 30, 2022.
  35. ↑ Perry, Kevin EG (September 29, 2022). "Gabriels: "The stuff that people would say about me they could never say now"". The Independent. Retrieved October 4, 2022.
  36. ↑ "Albumism Selects: The 100 Best Albums of 2022". Albumism. December 4, 2022. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  37. ↑ "The best albums of 2022". The Economist. December 1, 2022. Retrieved December 1, 2022.
  38. ↑ Kean, Jon (December 12, 2022). "Albums of 2022 Poll Results: 50-26". God Is in the TV. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  39. ↑ Snapes, Laura (December 23, 2022). "The 50 best albums of 2022". The Guardian. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  40. ↑ "Albums of the Year 2022 – The Top 100". Louder Than War. December 2, 2022. Retrieved December 2, 2022.
  41. ↑ Pearis, Bill (November 15, 2022). "Mojo's Top 75 Albums of 2022". BrooklynVegan. Retrieved November 16, 2022.
  42. ↑ Piatkowski, Peter (December 6, 2022). "The 80 Best Albums of 2022". PopMatters. Retrieved December 7, 2022.
  43. ↑ Cairns, Dan; Dean, Jonathan (December 11, 2022). "Ranked: 25 best albums of 2022 — from Taylor Swift to Arctic Monkeys". The Sunday Times. Retrieved February 27, 2023.
  44. ↑ Charles, Craig. "6 Music's Albums of the Year - 2023". BBC Radio 6 Music. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  45. ↑ "Mojo's 75 Best Albums of 2023". Mojo. November 9, 2023.
  46. ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  47. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved April 26, 2023.
  48. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Gabriels – Angels & Queens - Part II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  49. ↑ "Ultratop.be – Gabriels – Angels & Queens - Part II" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 16, 2023.
  50. ↑ "Dutchcharts.nl – Gabriels – Angels & Queens - Part II" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 15, 2023.
  51. ↑ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2023. 28. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved July 20, 2023.
  52. ↑ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 14, 2023.
  53. ↑ "Official R&B Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 14 July 2023.
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