Gang Of Youths’ latest album, “Angel In Realtime,” is one of this year’s most powerful releases. Led by singer Dave Le’aupepe, the Australian rock band bring vibes reminiscent of U2’s arena-ready explosiveness and Arcade Fire’s stacked instrumental arrangements. It’s really Le’Aupepe’s songwriting that defines the sound enacted on the piercing new album about coping with the death of his father and learning to move forward. Last night, they played “In The Wake Of Your Leave” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and it was downright spiritual.
Performing as a six-piece, it showcases the lineup that Gang Of Youths will be bringing to their US and Canada tour dates that start later this week. The uptempo drums and a fiery violin elevate the emotions for Le’aupepe to sing lasting lyrics like, “It quakes and moves. Then breaks, then shatters over me. In shapes of all these quiet sacred things I need.” There’s both an electric guitar and Le’aupepe on an acoustic, which builds into a dense and comprehensive rock and roll strings mini-section. It’s a jolt of energy for sure.
Watch Gang Of Youths perform “In The Wake Of Your Leave” on The Tonight Show above.
Gang Of Youths is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group