The first thing that strikes you is Jacob Lusk’s incredible voice, the kind you only hear once or twice in a generation. Once the director of a gospel choir and backing vocalist for Diana Ross, Beck and Gladys Knight, the Californian vocalist found his way alongside two adventurous musicians: Ryan Hope and Ari Balouzian. Their experimental arrangements take us into a time capsule, both steeped in decades of soul music and propelled by a completely new spirit. According to Sir Elton himself, Gabriels’ first album is “most seminal record I’ve heard in the last 10 years”.

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