Oscar and the Wolf – “Angel Face” [Song Review]

“Angel Face,” the new single from Belgian dark pop artist Oscar and the Wolf, Max Colombie’s project, reveals the artist on the brink of despondency.

Colombie explains, “On ‘Angel Face,’ I’m going through a breakup, getting lost at the bar. I’m the last man standing because everyone has already gone home, and they turn on the lights.”

Describing his music as “Disney music for adults,” Oscar and the Wolf’s sound amalgamates constituents of pop, R&B, alternative, and EDM into tantalizing sonic potions saturated in visceral emotions and cinematic surfaces.

“Angel Face” sees Oscar and the Wolf exploring and exposing heightened vulnerability, at times warm and honeyed, at times shadowy and corrosive. Colombie says that it’s a pathway he wants to explore further because it’s more autobiographical.

With hundreds of millions of streams, Oscar and the Wolf has performed at festivals such as Pukkelpop and Tomorrowland, along with creating soundtracks for fashion designer Dries Van Noten.

Opening on swirls of dramatic colors, “Angel Face” flows into a pulsating rhythm topped by stirring layers of synths. Oscar and the Wolf’s vocals infuse the lyrics with evocative textures, including suggestions of heartache, sighing nostalgia, and longing.

Oscar and the Wolf, photo by Roxanne Maritz

Marinaded in raw, primal sensations, “Angel Face” unveils a throbbing color palette of anguish and poignant feelings.

Run Time: 3:32
Release Date: February 2, 2024
Record Label: CLIMB X and OWTWO under exclusive license to Sony Music Entertainment Belgium NV/SA