Gang of Youths Surprise Us With Their New EP "total serene"
Gang of Youths have surprised us with their new EP total serene. This body of work introduces a new sound for the band: one that’s fueled by pure emotion and cinematic scale instrumentation.
The previous single “angel of 8th ave.” was our first introduction to this new era. With motorik grooves and luminous synths, the powerful and poetic tune about falling in love and finding a new life, completely captured our hearts.
“unison”, the following track on the EP, is an indicator of the path Gang Of Youths is headed on. The top tier production features layers of everything from brass to banjo and even programmed beats to samples of David Fanshawe’s influential documentation of indigenous Pacific music. The samples bring in a natural element that, paired with the production, allow it to soar to a moving crescendo.
“unison” brings together the themes established by the EP’s other two songs. It’s a celebration of love’s salvation, but in the hands of Le’aupepe it’s more nuanced, touching upon how current circumstances are influenced by both our heritage and by sheer chance.
He says, “‘unison’ is a deeply important track for us that really signals where the music is headed on the new record. I conceived the song in Samoa, my ancestral homeland. Here we sample and introduce the work of David Fanshawe, who travelled to the Pacific Islands in the 1980s and recorded the most extensive library of indigenous Pacific music anywhere in the world.”
“asleep in the back”, the third and final song on the EP, is the band’s take on the early Elbow classic, the original of which Guy Garvey and co. released in 2002. Another poetic installation in total serene, it draws from the bravery of exposing your flaws to a new love.
Gang Of Youths’ warm instrumentation is refreshing. Their take on the song adds to the vulnerability, instead of reinventing it. The mood is amplified by the depth of feeling that exudes from Le’aupepe’s husky delivery.
“We love Elbow and we thought it was thematically relevant,” he says. “It couldn’t have been anything other than ‘asleep in the back’.”
This EP has left us wanting to hear more from Gang Of Youths. They may be taking a new artistic direction, but their sound remains authentic. total serene is a showcase of the band’s growth and extensive talents. Gang Of Youths is officially back and better than ever!
