Melanie Wagner is a local musician from Manchester, New Jersey, who offers a delightfully simplistic approach to songwriting. Putting her foot in the door with the release of her full-length, Cross My Heart, she charms her listeners with a soulfully-driven voice that complements her charisma.
Imagine that you’ve stumbled upon a diary kept beneath the surface by a high school sweetheart and then add an upbeat tone to grace you with an outstanding pop melody. This is one thought that came to mind as Wagner conveys that she would rather choose brains over brawns any day through the use of bubbly yet witty metaphors in the lines of “Hero Complex.” In a similar light, “Cupid” kicks it into third gear by taking shots at the notion of love at first sight as well.
Singing each note with her heart on her sleeve, Wagner’s prose stands alone throughout the record while her enthusiastic vocal harmony provides Cross My Heart with an extra spice of life. On “Forget Me Not,” Wagner reflects back on a time where she had to throw her cards on the line by visually painting a picture in the lyrics, “You can’t leave me here just pushing up daisies.”
Cross My Heart provides a unique delivery that introduces you to Wagner’s spontaneous personality. With a colorful arrangement of lighthearted love songs, toe-tapping pop anthems and passionate ballads, Cross My Heart definitely brings to the table a vibrant sound that offers a variety of tunes for everybody to enjoy. Revealing her true character through her words and pleasant musicianship, Wagner is one example of an upcoming artist who has the poise and potential to branch out of the Garden State and share her talents with eager fans who would be elated to listen.
In A Word: Delightful
