RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
"RELEASE THE STARS"
(Geffen, 2007)
This may be the hardest review I've ever had to write. It's not because I have to pan this album ... on the contrary, I don't know how to begin to describe the journey it takes me on as I listen to it. And the same goes for the artist: Rufus Wainwright is an anomaly -- I almost never go in for the artsy or avant-garde sort of music, but he's the exception ... perhaps exactly because his style is so difficult to categorize. He mish-mashes genres of music ranging from baroque to cabaret to country to rock, and somehow manages to make it work every single time, with his uncanny flair and charming voice.
Are you looking for an orchestra and what sounds like a children's choir? You'll find it in the semi-operatic opener, "Do I Disappoint You". How about a good old indie-rock-ish song? Try "Between My Legs" (not as dirty as it sounds!). Or maybe it's a slice of European-seasoned folk you're looking for? "Sanssouci" has you covered. And I won't even try to nail down what "Tiergarten" sounds like ... maybe someone out there can. And who else but Rufus can record an ode to Tulsa, Oklahoma, that sounds about as far-removed from the Great Plains as humanly possible?
Rufus Wainwright is a musician for whom the label "artist" is eminently appropriate, because the listener can almost see lush, vibrant paintings materializing out of thin air as his songs pour into the ear. If you're a Rufus devotee, you know what to expect. If you're new to him, this is the perfect introduction to what he's capable of. Go buy this CD, put it on with some headphones, sit back in your chair, close your eyes, and enjoy the ride.
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