Album Review: Gabriel's Dawn - Gabriel's Dawn

 

The self titled debut album from Midlands (Leicester and Newcastle Under Lyme) based band Gabriel's Dawn was released on May 30th. Brought together by a shared love of melodic pop, the chime of the Rickenbacker and the power of classic songwriting, the album was recorded throughout 2021 by band member Leon Jones. 

Comprising of Gudg on vocals, Fran Feely on bass, Jones on guitar and Stuart Gray on keys, the band had known each other from social events for years and only came together when Gudg and Fran starting writing together and wanted to expand the sound.  Happy to wear their influences on their sleeves, the cultural zeitgeist of the 60s' provided the most inspiration.

Fran explained "We're all massive fans of 60s' culture, music, films, art and fashion. That's not to say we are stuck in that time period, but I'd certainly love a time machine for a day or two to experience it. Although we're fans of the UK bands and the psych and freakbeat scenes, we all agree that US bands of that time appeal more to us more. The Byrds, Love and Buffalo Springfield being the obvious ones, but also bands like The Merry Go Round, The Beau Brummels and Penny Arkade."

We sent the album through to our friend in the U.S Ryan Doyle Elward and he heard a record that was more than just 60s' revivalism.

Gabriel’s Dawn impressively captures in their self-titled album the spirit of Laurel Canyon without totally completing the circuit on a mid-60s redux. And the points where they break with a full embodiment of Tom Petty or The Byrds [by way of Dylan’s ‘Mr. Tambourine Man’] are for certain the more interesting aspects.

It should go without saying that elements from these bands and really from that whole era are absolutely foundational and therefore serve as an unavoidable influence, but Gabriel’s Dawn grabs all the best glimmering bits and throws them into a coalescence of country (resulting in song ‘We’), dream-pop, and with the likes of earlier 60s reimaginings which cropped up in the middle and late 90s. ‘Loaded Gun’ is a perfect marriage of the three.  

The special kind of arpeggiation in ’24 Hours from Heaven’ – so plainly reminiscent of a twelve string guitar – combined with thick, clean chorus, does well as a dog ear to the pages of that type and period of 60s music. 

For those reasons these tracks are naturally nostalgic, not going so far though as to be derivative. The revitalisation is instead energetic and refreshing. This sense is helped by the airy, ethereal singing in ‘You, Your Favourite Subject’ which bears resemblance to the melodic vocal arcs on Alvvays’ ‘Dream Tonite’.

Intertextuality is abundant in this release from Gabriel’s Dawn – referential to artists such as Six Pence None the Richer – as they both go after much of the same 60s sentimentality. The difference here is that this album has a greater, expanded interpretation and will be granted more staying power by that.

                                      r.d.e

Gabriel's Dawn is available now on limited edition C.D and Vinyl from their Bandcamp . The album will be available on Itunes, Apple Music and to stream on Spotify from 27th June.

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