Stephen Stanley - trustfall
- Samuel Stevens
- 2 days ago
- 2 min read
Stephen Stanley’s second full-length album, trustfall, is more than a record—it’s a confessional, a lifeline, and an invitation to sit with your emotions in the space between brokenness and healing. Set to be released via Capitol Christian Music Group on April 25, 2025, the Mansfield, Georgia-born singer-songwriter delivers an intimate, genre-blurring collection that fully embodies the album’s title: an artistic leap of faith built on vulnerability, trust, and spiritual grounding.
From the first note, trustfall makes one thing abundantly clear—Stephen Stanley is not interested in surface-level storytelling. The opening track, “gonna have to trust you,” sets the tone with sweeping melodies and a raw, understated vocal performance that balances spiritual surrender with human uncertainty. Stanley doesn’t shy away from the messiness of life or faith; he leans into it with open arms and a steady, powerful voice.
Songs like “hell or high water” and “not by sight” channel the pop-leaning sensibilities of artists like NEEDTOBREATHE or Ben Rector, blending chill alt-pop production with lyrics that grapple with perseverance and unseen grace. There’s a lived-in wisdom here, rooted in Stanley’s own story—a childhood accident that left him deaf in his left ear and pushed him toward music by picking up his mom's guitar as both refuge and calling.
The album's standout track, “this far down,” serves as an emotional centrepiece of the project. Haunting yet hopeful, it’s a full-blown guitar-driven explosion that explores rejection, self-worth, and the light that breaks through even the darkest inner storms. Stanley’s voice is immense as it trembles on the edge of heartbreak, but never loses strength—a delicate balance only a truly seasoned storyteller can pull off.
“don’t wait on me,” featuring the ethereal Fleurie, is another high point of the album. While turning the knob from eleven down a few notches, their two voices intertwine like a whispered prayer, bringing a cinematic dimension to the record. Fleurie’s presence adds a ghostly softness that enhances the song’s themes of delayed healing and grace that arrives in its own time.
While faith is a subtle undercurrent throughout the twelve tracks that make trustfall, Stanley never preaches. Instead, he invites listeners into his process—into his doubts, his surrender, and his ultimate hope. Tracks like “i still have you,” “your heart,” and “find some peace of mind” feel like journal entries, blurring the lines between devotional and diary. Even the closing title track, “trustfall,” feels more like an embrace than a conclusion—a commanding reminder that letting go can be its own form of strength.
Clocking in at just under forty minutes, trustfall is a cohesive and emotionally potent record that positions Stephen Stanley as not only a breakout talent in the Christian pop/alt sphere but also as a compelling songwriter with universal appeal. He’s not just making music for believers; he’s making music for anyone who’s ever felt like they were free-falling, unsure of what comes next in their life. In a world desperate for authenticity, trustfall is exactly what it sounds like—a beautifully human, soul-deep surrender.