My colleague Ben Schultz just gave the new Gang of Youths record, Angel in Realtime, a perfect 10 out of 10 score, which sounds pretty perfect to me.

What makes a perfect record? And is there such a thing?

“Deeply personal yet all-embracing in spirit, wised up yet overflowing with wonder, Angel in Realtime is an early contender for best album of the year,” Ben wrote.

Ben’s right about that. It’s an amazing record – the best new music I‘ve heard in at least five years. Maybe longer … and I’m really old.

Though, is it a perfect album?

That’s a tough one. Perfect means no flaws. Perfect means every song is great. Perfect means an artist could not have done any better with the space and time they had.

Perfect is more than that. Many bands actually do much better than their talent dictates (Motley Crue is still a head-scratcher), and you couldn’t call anything they’ve done “perfect.”

Perfect means there’s no space for any letdown. Pure excellence, from start to finish.

A perfect 10 of 10 has to be a tough standard; one that I don’t remember ever giving an album. If I did … I was young and needed the attention.

Even though Gang of Youths’ first record came out in 2015, I only recently became acquainted with them, thanks to a friend/musician who once quit a huge ’90s band because he has great taste.

Listening to Angel in Realtime was akin to that feeling of meeting someone with whom you think you could fall in love – which is a feeling I’ve had for many records over the years (the records always last longer than the real thing; a great standard for the longevity of a great record).

The questions I ask when considering whether to give a record a great review are pretty simple. At least I thought so. Let’s play “apply the non-objective criteria of one guy who thinks he knows a lot about music” game to Angel in Realtime:

Is it unique?

Yes. The mix of styles is wonderful backdrop to the plain old uplifting feeling of this record. I compared it to a few other bands, but … I can say the mix of styles, the barebones emotional honesty and power of David Le’aupepe’s vocals makes it unique.

Can they play?

Yes. Though this criteria is undoubtedly less important than most people think. The greatest technical musicians usually have nothing to do with the greatest songwriting.

Does it make me forget what I’m doing?

Yes. The first time I listened to Angel in Realtime, I was riding an exercise bike, which I rode 40 minutes longer than usual, because I was busy re-listening. If a record makes me forget the pain of exercise, it’s special.

Does it make me desperately wish I’d written it and/or was in the band?

Duh.

Does it make me want to see the band live?

Yes. I immediately called shotgun on reviewing Gang of Youths at the Fillmore on May 16.

Does it make me send it to musician friends, hoping they’ll get inspired and we’ll start a new band, make a record and go on tour?

Yes. I sent it to three former bandmates immediately. I don’t think they were as impressed as I was. Or they’re just not impressed with my opinion in general, which I get.

And, most importantly: Do I play it over and over as much as I played Black Sabbath’s Heaven and Hell when I was 13?

Probably not. But this is a very high standard.

But, considering all that … can I say there are better records?

Well … yes. The first record I think of when the “greatest” rock albums are discussed is The Beatles’ Abbey Road, which to me is the perfect of the perfect. But I would also give 10s to records from the Rolling Stones, Van Halen, Radiohead, Nirvana, Wilco, Prince, Black Sabbath, Cheap Trick, Jeff Buckley, the Replacements and probably a few others, because they were that close. But I was born the summer Sgt. Pepper’s came out. I’ve been fortunate enough to be alive for a lot of 10s.

But, wow, is Angel in Realtime good. A solid 9. Argue among yourselves.

Follow music critic Tony Hicks at Twitter.com/TonyBaloney1967.