Wendy Rene - Crying All By Myself

Wendy Rene has a signature deflating, descending and chromatically-slipping melismata that evokes a sort of longing desperation. Her lack of precision and control as a singer is exactly what makes your heart break as a listener. This collection shows her youth as a singer, I think, as it stylistically remains on the pop/girl group side of things and the range of ornaments and vocal chops she demonstrates is limited.  I’d imagine though, that’s exactly what Stax wanted out of her, a youthful wailer who had that cute, amateur quality to her.  She’s probably best known for her Stax single “After Laughter Comes Tears”, an innocent but deeply haunted tune.