Published on May 6, 2002
Some of today’s most popular singers started their career
backing up other singers, Luther Vandross and Sheryl Crow to name
two. Count Windy Wagner among the hopefuls to continue this trend
as this former backup vocalist for artists ranging from k.d. lang
and Jennifer Lopez has just come out with her first full length CD
called
The Simplest Things.
So, will Wagner be the next big breakout artist? Well the
opening cut, “You Think I Do”, makes a pretty good case for her as
this is a catchy midtempo tune that would be a welcome sound on an
adult contemporary station. Everything seems to click here, with
the spunky lyric, solid arrangement, and great singing.
And great singing is a big key to the best moments on
The Simplest Things. It is easy to see why people would hire
her as a vocalist as you feel her pain on songs like “Falling
Behind” and “He Said To Me”, and she is equally convincing on songs
ranging from the gospel-tinged “Sunday Morning Fine” to the playful
“Down The River”. Her voice sounds like Jewel but with the range
and soulfulness of Melissa Etheridge.
However,
The Simplest Things shares the same problem of many debut
recordings, and that is that Wagner, at this point in her career,
has not yet found a distinctive voice of her own. She is still the
sum of all her influences, covering all the bases on this CD from
nouveau country (“My Pride”) to toned down R&B (“Would It Be So
Bad”) and therefore sounding more like an adult comtemporary mix
tape than an artist with a vision.
And while there are no bad songs on
The Simplest Things, there is the lack of a truly memorable
ballad. I don’t mean that Wagner has to have a
pull-out-all-the-stops-type ballad. Her songwriting style is a
throwback to an earlier, more laid-back time, before the adult
contemporary scene had even heard of Diane Warren. But while I find
this refreshing, I don’t think her songwriting is quite at the
level of a Carly Simon or Carole King just yet.
However, Wagner’s potential is there and it is the last song,
“Painful”, which hints at the heights she is capable of reaching as
a songwriter. This song has her best lyrics, and the melody strikes
a different, unpredictable chord here. Unlike much of the rest of
the CD, Wagner seems unburdened with trying to write a potential
hit and gets to cut loose a little more both as a performer and
songwriter.
The Simplest Things does have a lot going for it. While I
think future releases will show growth and maturity of this
talented artist, there is no denying that this is a pleasant
listen. If you are a heavy listener of adult contemporary radio,
this may just put a smile on your face.
For more information or to order this CD, please
visit the artist’s
Web
site.