Rufus Wainwright

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Rufus Wainwright

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Rufus Wainwright is an unfortunately little-known singer/songwriter with a very strong, very loyal cult following. His debut self-titled debut album is tpyical of what has become Rufus' own genre of sorts. Yes, his own genre, because there is absolutely nothing like Rufus' work. His music is hauntingly original, using varied instruments to acheive a near-perfect range of sound.

This album has no profound information regarding a bad childhood, inner-city living, or even the trials of the working man. It is an eclectic assortment of music that reflects the little things of life like love. Rufus' voice exudes the emotion that the listener begins to feel from listening to the elegant lyrics flowing effortlessly from their speakers. This album has been the most enjoyably diverse that I have purchased in 12 months.

Okay, so what if Randy Newman had been a young gay man steeped in Tin Pan Alley and showtunes instead of Southern California sarcasm and movie soundtracks? Then you may have gotten a debut similar to Rufus Wainright's. When this album came out in 1998, it received an unbelievable amount of hype, with Rolling Stone going as far as calling it one of the best albums of the year. Naturally curious, I picked it up.

I was left to scratch my head and wonder what all the fuss was about. Yes, Rufus was eccentric and somewhat original, he had the family pedigree to back it all up genetically, but this debut CD was nowhere near the great white hope it was being written up as. In fact, with the exception of three songs, I still find it to be precocious and grating. But it was those three songs....

"Foolish Love" certainly courted the Newman comparisons. The piano arrangement brought a lyrical flair forward that made the disc start off with promise. "April Fool" certainly borrowed liberally from Elton John, The Beatles and the Beach Boys and made for a pretty decent video (and was one of the things that moved me to buy this disc). And "Barcelona" captured a simple acoustic beauty that would burst forth in full bloom several years later when "Poses" was released. In fact, I was so underwhelmed by this debut that I didn't even get "Poses" when it was first released; it was Rufus' version of "Across The Universe" that made me ask "is that the same guy?" and go pick it up.

So while I still listen to this from time to time, if you're curious as to why Rufus Wainwright gets the cultish devotion he actually does deserve, his debut is NOT the place to start. I'd suggest picking up "Poses" if you're a fan of singer songwriters first, or if you're more into lush arrangements and Pop-Opera, go with "Want One." They are both much more mature and focused records. "Rufus Wainwright" is the sound of a young man given too much rope, but getting his musical wild oats out of his system.