Gang of Youths- The Positions

“Can I just fight for the winning side
And feel that I'm building a
Home and a life to behold
Till it's robbed from my sight?”

Gang of Youths’ debut album is almost perfect. It captures the triumphant highs as well as the crushing lows of frontman David Le’aupepe’s adolescence, weaving through several stories describing cancer, suicide, and poverty. This is one of my favourite albums of all time, so I decided it would be a good place to start with my very first review.

The Positions plays out as a series of tableaus, stitched together to create an album that is consistently engaging, with vivid storytelling and a defining sound. This is achieved through a combination of Le’aupepe’s poetic songwriting, as well as the extremely mature sounding production, which is an impressive feat considering this was the band’s first effort. This is something that is only improved even further on their sophomore album Go Farther in Lightness, which is an equally amazing work of art.

Lyrically, this album is a moving and beautifully written tragedy. This collection of songs display something really special, dealing with themes of mortality and pain with lyrics that find the perfect balance between poetry and the unpoetic- the idiosyncrasies of everyday life. The song Sjamboksa, my favourite track on the album, does this extremely well, with lines such as:

Le’aupepe manages to create extraordinary imagery on the mundanity of ordinary life, as well as finding beauty in a period in his life that was saturated by so much pain. In terms of the style of music, Gang of Youths mostly wear their influences on their sleeve, which I mean in the best way possible. The record takes lyrical cues from the likes of Joni Mitchell and Bruce Springsteen, with the song The Diving Bell even paying homage to Springsteen’s I’m On Fire in its closing section. Le’aupepe also highlights Mitchell’s influence on him particularly in his transition into adulthood in an interview with SKIPI TV. There he talks about how deeply rooted her influence is with his relationship with his sister, something found all the way through The Positions, inspirations which clearly have had some profound effect on Le’aupepe, which he takes cues from in order to frame his own story.

As well as being both consistently well-written and profound, this is also an extremely accessible album. Even with some songs reaching almost 8 minutes in length, The Positions never seems long or meandering. This is mostly because of how excellently it is paced. The album is carefully structured, with songs such as Vital signs and Radioface providing momentum that is complemented by the more sorrowful moments of the album, like Knuckles White Dry, which describes the crushing monotony of driving to and from the hospital in the midst of a relationship of a girl with cancer. This is a central theme on the album, and Le’aupepe expresses it so genuinely that at times it can be a difficult listen. Some of the material on the album is so deeply personal it almost feels invasive to listen to, particularly on songs such as Knuckles White Dry, which is by far the most sombre moment on the record. However its this some authenticy that Le’aupepe brings to the lyricism that makes the album such an engaging experience.

On top of this, the production of this album is absolutely incredible. Despite only playing to small crowds at the time of the album being created, tracks such as Magnolia, Radioface, and Sjamboksa sound like they were built to be played to arena crowds. The latter of which having possibly the most triumphant climax of the entire album, a moment of relief and hope on a record that deals with such heartbreaking material.

There is so much more to be said about this album, but all I can really recommend is to just listen to it. It is an emotionally challenging experience to immerse yourself in, however it is also an extremely rewarding listen that is focused on celebrating the moments of beauty and hope that scatter themselves among what seems like a sea of turmoil.

I would highly recommend anyone to give this album a listen.

9/10