Like the recently renovated 1960s modernist concert hall that provides the setting for tonight’s show, gospel soul trio Gabriels have classic roots galvanised by top-end contemporary production. Tonight is the opening date on a short – and strictly sold out – UK tour promoting Angels and Queens Part One, the excellent debut album likely to score highly on end-of-year lists this winter.
Jacob Lusk’s power as a vocalist, and his hard-utilised charisma, is immense. Taking to the stage in long, black gown and hat redolent of an oversized velvet frisbee, Lusk can trade nuanced sprechgesang for moments of wall-rattling ballast – such as in the elegant baroque pop of Bloodline – within 10 seconds. Such blockbuster moments are received with equal applause. Where the band’s references to 1940s jazz, Motown and gospel could feel retro, tonight’s set emphasises just as much the brooding, cinematic atmospheres that add depth to their sound. It’s not unlike Sault’s smart, contemporary cut-up of Black creativity across different decades. Lusk – raised in the Apostolic church, and the only Black finalist on the 2011 series of American Idol – has enough sheer skill as a performer to keep downtempo moments captivating, outstretching his arm and singing into his hand as though in a performance of Hamlet. Emphasising Lusk’s gospel roots, he is augmented by three powerful backing singers.
