KubrickFan's Full Review: Poses by Rufus Wainwright
Outside of Tenacious D's debut album, Poses is my #1 pick for albums released in 2001. Poses is actually Rufus Wainwright's second album, a follow up to his self-titled debut in 1998, which I haven't actually gotten to hear yet. This CD sounds like absolutely nothing else out there. And indeed, that is a great part of its appeal. Rufus Wainwright takes Beach Boys and Beatles style pop, then adds lush orchestral arrangements with violins, cellos, harps, and various other instruments that only a graduate of the Julliard School of music can blend into the traditional pop formula. A prime example of this would be the album's opening song "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk."
Apart from the great string and piano arrangements, Rufus adds equally beautiful and insightful lyrical content, such as in "Shadows," where he relents the travails of being famous. ("I could be a big star / Still I'm far from happy.") Another good example is "California," in which Rufus offers an upbeat half-appraisal and half-satirical portrait of the state. Some other highlights include the techno remix of "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk," "Grey Gardens," and my personal favorite track: the absolutely beautiful cover of "Across The Universe." This is the kind of song where you can hit the Repeat button and just listen to it over and over and over. For those who don't know, the Beatles originally did “Across The Universe”. This song was also covered by Fiona Apple for the Pleasantville soundtrack, but this version blows that one and the original right out of the water. It has absolutely beautiful vocals that have to be heard to be believed.
All in all, Poses is a very pleasant listening experience, and a welcome alternative to all the uninspired bubble-gum pop (Jennifer Lopez, Nsync, Michelle Branch) and despicable rap-metal/nu metal (Linkin Park, Puddle of Mudd, Disturbed) that's out there. Rufus Wainwright could possibly be placed in the Contemporary Singer/Songwriter genre, much in the same vein as Robyn Hitchcock or John Mayer, but the use of strings and Rufus's superb singing voice place him on a level high above the rest. I recommend this album for anyone who's a fan of the whole Singer/Songwriter genre, fans of Beach Boys-era pop, or for anyone who enjoys a fresh twist on the same old music.
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