Review by Matt Wong & Staff
“Small Town Heartbreak” begins with piano, bass and the beat. After a brief intro, Angel’s expressive vocals enter on the first verse. Sparse guitar bits enter on the second half of the verse before evolving into a more saturated presence. The opening lyrics of the song set the stage for a man who is left with a wedding ring on his finger and a heartbreak, as his beloved wife has passed away after a battle with cancer.
As the arrangement moves onward, the chorus introduces a call and response form of background vocals that nicely highlights and complements the melody. Following the chorus, the piano part becomes more pronounced and takes the driver’s seat in the arrangement. In the next verse, the guitar plays a larger, yet still complementary role. The song then runs through another chorus, pulls back for a calm and contrasting instrumental break, before ramping back up for one final chorus.
The lyrics in “Small Town Heartbreak” are a tribute by Angel to his late wife who passed away from triple negative breast cancer. Written as a conversation with her, Angel sings about how he doesn’t “feel many things, but I got a lot to say Left here with the wedding ring…” In the chorus, Angel describes his wife as a “Big city girl, livin’ in my small town world” and acknowledges that “some dreams, they fall apart, and they break your heart.”
“Small Town Heartbreak” by Angel is a moving and touching piece of music that show's Angel's depth as a songwriter and husband. The song’s minimal arranging and instrumentation is a great example of less is more, and helps put the spotlight squarely on the emotion behind the melody and lyrics. The song is very well written, and Angel’s lively vocals will pull listeners in, to experience his thoughts and feelings wrapped beautifully in this musical gift.
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About Angel (Diary of an Outlaw)
Hailing from Hollywood, California, ANGEL was raised in two opposite spheres - on the streets of Detroit and on a farm in Michigan. Today, his music captures the grit and guts of both landscapes. Angel's many artistic gifts include singing, songwriting, screen play writing, photography, cinematography and directing. Angel is also known as a fearless poet. Whether he is scripting a movie or singing, he delves deep into what lies under the skin of life and human connections, and in doing so he creates music and art that moves his audience.
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