Although this album was released in a time of online relationships and social media, Sanchez was able to recreate the feeling of a retro love story with his incorporation of the musicality from older songs. Each track is a new installation in a vintage romance, showcasing Sanchez’s vocal range and heartfelt lyrics.
Track 1: “Something About Her”
Rating: 8/10
Stephen Sanchez starts out the album with the bare tones of his smooth vocals and faint piano in the background. The song builds verse by verse, picking up tempo, adding the light strum of guitar, all the while Sanchez sings of the mysterious allure his love interest possesses. It may be her kindness or beauty, but Sanchez just can’t quite put his finger on it. He is stricken by her dreamy attraction and falls in love almost instantly.
“Your hands or your eyes or the way that yours just look in mine, / I’d die to live for any little part of this”
Track 2: “Evangeline”
Rating: 7/10
To match the album title “Angel Face,” angelic vocals are laced through the background of this song, complementing the way Stephen Sanchez lyrically portrays this sense of a dream girl, known as Evangeline. This begins the storytelling behind the album, where Sanchez falls in love with the girlfriend of a mob boss, and this desire overtakes him because of how mesmerizing Evangeline is.
“You’re my Angel in the doorway / I couldn’t bare to lose you / And if you’re so in love, honey, why stay refused”
Track 3: “I Need You Most Of All”
Rating: 8/10
This track has such a classic vintage sound achieved by a high-pitched dreamy piano, deep background vocals, reverb guitar and a drumbeat replaced by a clap. Sanchez’s vibrato vocals ripple over these musical elements in a seamless fashion. He confesses his love, and describes how much he longs to be with Evangeline.
“It’s only in dreams that I meet you / Don’t wanna wake, but I need to / Still I need you most of all”
Track 4: “Only Girl”
Rating: 7/10
“Only Girl” transports listeners straight back to the sixties, with a perfectly retro repetitive piano sequence at the height of the track. In this part of the story, Sanchez attempts to convince Evangeline to be with him instead of her current boyfriend. Sanchez begins the song describing his desire to be with his love, singing in rich tones before picking up to a classic yet catchy upbeat chorus.
“Give all your love to me / Those other boys will let you down / No I will never mess around”
Track 5: “Be More”
Rating: 9/10
The vibrato of Sanchez’s vocals cascade over a soft piano intro, before the song builds to a romantic plea. Incredible lyrics depict how Sanchez wants to be in a deeply emotional relationship… to go beyond those three little words.
“Be more than dancing in rain drops / Falling to touch you / Oh just to touch you”
Track 6: “Until I Found You”
Rating: 6/10
This is Sanchez’s most popular song of all time, previously released as a single and on another album before re-releasing on the track list of Angel Face. Because of this song’s immense popularity, it has become overplayed… yet his vocals still bring chills, and the ballad will forever speak to hopeless romantics.
“I’ll never let you go again, like I did / Oh I used to say / I would never fall in love again until I found you”
Track 7: “Shake”
Rating: 9/10
Sanchez is said to be renewing retro music to a new generation of listeners. This track fully encompasses the Elvis Presley style, down to the energy in the way he delivers his lines.
“Uh-uh-uh, oh, oh, my heart’s a-beatin’ like a drum just a-lookin’ for my tambourine”
Track 8: “High”
Rating: 8/10
This track is full of darker and richer tones in comparison to the rest of the album. Sanchez once again sings about how captivating love can be, but put to the music of minor piano chords. In this track, Sanchez is so enticed by his love interest that he wants to get her “high” on desire, in order for her to reciprocate his feelings.
“But, baby, all I do is want / And if I knew that I could have you / Don’t you know that I’d be glad to show it?”
Track 9: “Doesn’t Do Me Any Good”
Rating: 10/10
The song begins with a jazzy feel layered with melodic background vocals and a compelling downbeat that carries listeners through this ballad. The song reaches its climax as Sanchez’s voice splits the flow of music to perfectly deliver a high vocal riff that brings chills. Overall, the song has elements that complement each other beautifully while building at the same time.
“Just like that mountain, baby / My love is standing tall for you / You said you’d love me if you could / It doesn’t do me any good”
Track 10: “No One Knows”
Rating: 10/10
This track is the only song that has a featured artist, Laufey. She is known for her soft jazzy love songs, and also recently released an album, titled “Bewitched.” Both artists are inspired by similar singers of the past, and they come together to deliver a perfectly harmonized ballad about two lovers who have been through it all together, and continue to hold on for the sake of their feelings for each other.
“No one knows the trouble, honey / That we’ve been through / Still I know I love you, baby / You see right through”
Track 11: “Caught In A Blue”
Rating: 7/10
The musicality of this song focuses on a light and warm guitar which steadily guides listeners as Sanchez provides movement to the track through his vocal range. Sanchez explains in the lyrics of this song that he would give up anything for his lover, as his feelings consume him.
“If all the world gave it to me, I’d trade it all only to be / Caught in a blue over you”
Track 12: “Death Of The Troubadour”
Rating: 6/10
The apparent focus of this song is not of Sanchez’s vocals, but of the dynamic that can be created through different instruments. Sanchez sings a mere three lines before the music leads into a dramatic build and releases to a solemn piano solo. The song has a vintage wild west sound, and reminds listeners of the scoring to classic films. This leads to the end of the 1950’s love story, where Sanchez is allegedly killed by Evangeline’s boyfriend.
“Oh my love, they’ve come for me / They’ve got one bullet saved to gun me down / Though in the ground, my heart for you will stay”
Track 13: “Send My Heart With A Kiss”
Rating: 7/10
After being fictionally shot, Stephen Sanchez sings one last love song as a goodbye to Evangeline. He wrote this song to symbolize the longing that happens when lovers are separated. Sanchez blends together vintage and modern elements with soft guitar melodies and a modern-structured chorus and bridge.
“Send my heart with a kiss / If ever I need an ember to warm my lonely soul / In the middle of winter”
It is easy to see that Sanchez is a skillful songwriter, as he gracefully turns back time to tell a classic love story through music. His vocals, lyrics, and musicality blend together to give his listeners a taste of a decade they wouldn’t otherwise have a chance to witness.
