SPILL ALBUM REVIEW: STEPHEN SANCHEZ – ANGEL FACE (CLUB DELUXE)

STEPHEN SANCHEZ
ANGEL FACE (CLUB DELUXE)
MERCURY RECORDS/REPUBLIC RECORDS/UNIVERSAL MUSIC

In 2023 I reviewed Stephen Sanchez’s debut album, Angel Face for Spill Magazine. Although I did not include it in the original review, I do recall thinking that Angel Face was far too short and should have been longer. This year, it seems I got my wish. Stephen Sanchez has rereleased the album as a Club Deluxe, and now there are 19 tracks to enjoy. Sanchez’s sound is from a very different era and yet it is very contemporary at the same time. This is an album that proves that young artists are still recording and releasing quality pop albums with real instruments and voices.

From beginning to end this album is chock full of well-written and well-constructed love songs that Sanchez sings with conviction. His use of falsetto on songs, such as “Only Girl” harkens back to the days of The Four Seasons and The Beach Boys but he adds a great deal of Roy Orbison and the result is very original. The entire album can be summed up in this way. He dips back in time, but this is not a copy or a parody. Rather this is an artist who obviously loves those sounds and production (which is reproduced faithfully thanks to the numerous producers who worked on the album).

Perhaps most interesting to listeners are the new songs. The original album did extremely well, so no doubt one has to ask is a Club Deluxe version necessary. Yes and no. The added songs are absolutely brilliant and should have been part of the first album, or perhaps they could have been gathered together as a second album. Regardless, these songs are now available for consumption, and they are well worth the wait. “Doesn’t Do Me Any Good” for example is a heartbreaking pop, while “No One Knows”, which features Laufey, is very spacey, sparse, and demonstrates great use of reverb. Elsewhere, he taps into his Orbison vibe, with songs “Caught In A Blue” which is a fun slice of pop.

One of the highlights of the album is the new song “Death Of The Troubadour” that sounds custom made for Marc Almond. The guitar is perfect, and the production, complete with tolling bell, is a perfect torch song. Sanchez is a talented singer and performer, and this comes through each and every song. His duet with Em Beihold is also another highlight. “Until I Found You”, which he performs with Beihold, brings the album to a close and a suitable ending it is, indeed. It is dramatic, passionate and a treat to the ears. Beihold brings a great deal to the song, and it actually is a better version than the original album track (which is still part of Angel Face)

Whether Angel Face is ready for a deluxe version or not, one thing is clear. The new incarnation of the album is excellent and, in some ways, much fuller than the original version. Again, perhaps it would have been better to have these tracks compile a second, new album, but however it is released, these songs are well worth one’s attention. Sanchez has created a fantastic album and if the newer songs are any indication, he is well on his way to establishing himself as a serious artist.

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