Ears Wide Open: Gabriels

Kevin Bronson on December 8th, 2021

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L.A.-trio Gabriels work in a place where soul meets space, where “otherworldly” is given a natural-feeling cinematic sheen that amplifies the heart behind the music.

They are a most distinctive assemblage of talent. Vocalist Jacob Lusk is a gospel singer and choir director who wriggled his way into secular music as a session man (including singing background for Diana Ross at the Hollywood Bowl and a stint on “American Idol”). Producer Ari Balouzian is a classically trained musician whose credits include soundtrack work. Producer Ryan Hope is a filmmaker.

They’ve released two EPs this year, including “Bloodline” last week, signed to Elektra, performed a sold-out show at the Masonic Lodge at Hollywood Forever and have been touted by none other than Elton John. Shame on us for being late to this party.

Many an act have sought to be retro and futuristic at once, and Gabriels are one to succeed.

The music on “Bloodline” and the April EP “Love and Hate in a Different Time” reflects Lusk’s personal history. A photograph of his grandmother, who reared four children alone after her husband died in a car accident, adorns the cover of “Love and Hate,” and Hope’s short film for the song ends with footage of Lusk performing Billie Holiday’s “Strange Fruit” at a Black Lives Matter demonstration in the summer of 2020. The cover of “Bloodline” is a painting of Lusk’s mugshot from a 2010 arrest for riding the Metro without a ticket.

Gabriels in late March will embark on a tour of the U.K., where their music has been enthusiastically embraced. The trio just announced a March date at the Troubadour; tickets go on sale Friday for that.

||| Stream: “Bloodline”