Stephen Sanchez is an example, and maybe even a product, of the power of social media. The singer has the talent; of that, there is no doubt. But many talented artists toil in obscurity due to a lack of exposure.

So Sanchez took to TikTok starting in June 2020, and by the following month he had a professionally produced single and a record label deal in the works. It could all just be right place, right time but, again, the guy is very talented. So the stars aligned, and social media assisted.

Sanchez has adopted a retro crooner look more akin to Elvis Presley than Michael Bublé, and since his TikTok debut he has kept fans supplied with a diet of singles, put together a headlining tour, appeared on The Tonight Show starring Jimmy Fallon, and performed “Until I Found You” — an old-timey torch song from his debut album, “Angel Face” — at this past summer’s Glastonbury festival with Elton John. 

“Angel Face” operates on a literary conceit, with a fictional alter-ago, “The Troubadour Sanchez,” cast as a central character in a story fit for a ‘50s pulp novel. There is the singer, a mobster and the woman caught hopelessly between them.

Sanchez recently told Billboard that he draws inspiration from indie musician Ben Schneider of Lord Huron fame: “He has made outstanding conceptual records with amazing characters. I’ve been inspired by him and his stories since I was in middle school. I am unbelievably honored to have written a few songs with him for the new record. His influence is one of the reasons this record ends in tragedy.”

“Angel Face” is a statement, a deliberate tour de force from an artist on the rise with intimations of a farther reach for potential greatness. “Undeniable passion is Sanchez’s medium of choice; ‘Angel Face’ is his first great oeuvre,” NME opined with a troubadour-like flourish. If big swings and high concepts are Sanchez’s plan for his future, he is off to a dramatic start.

Stephen Sanchez, with opener Stephen Day, plays 7pm Tuesday, December 12 at Revolution Live in Fort Lauderdale. stephensanchezofficial.com ~ Tim Moffatt