Grammy-winning vocalist and guitarist Boz Scaggs recently released “Angel Eyes,” the second single from his forthcoming album, Detour, due out October 17 on Concord Records.
A hushed and heartfelt rendition of the sentimental standard, “Angel Eyes” showcases Scaggs’ unmatched vocal phrasing and his deep connection to the material — part of a larger collection that revisits the Great American Songbook with warmth, elegance, and emotional depth.
First made famous by artists like Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra, “Angel Eyes” has long stood as one of the most haunting ballads in the popular canon. Scaggs approaches it with reverence and restraint, inhabiting the lyrics rather than performing them, and revealing new hues in his voice shaped by a lifetime of soul, blues, and balladry.
The arrangement — anchored by Seth Asarnow’s understated piano work — is spare, smoky, and intimate, allowing the emotion to linger in the silence between notes.
“I’d never sung this one before Seth brought it to me,” says Scaggs. “It has that bittersweet quality that I love — that quiet ache. We didn’t try to reinvent it, just to live in it a little while.”
Detour began not with a grand plan, but with the simple joy of making music.
“I had no intention of making a record when I started singing these songs,” Scaggs confesses. “It was all very casual at first, just an opportunity to explore a style of music I’ve always liked, to get together with a friend and play for the sheer joy of it.”
What started as a series of personal demos soon revealed something undeniable, resulting in a masterclass in interpretation that honors influences from Frank Sinatra to Irma Thomas. Detour is available to pre-order here.
“Angel Eyes” follows the album’s lead single, a stunning new arrangement of Boz’s 1969 classic, “I’ll Be Long Gone.”
Detour Tracklist:
1. It’s Raining
2. Angel Eyes
3. Once I Loved
4. The Very Thought of You
5. I’ll Be Long Gone
6. Detour Ahead
7. I Could Have Told You
8. The Meaning of the Blues
9. Tomorrow Night
10. Too Late Now
11. We’ll Be Together Again
Source: RTT Music News
