lambchops's Full Review: Want One by Rufus Wainwright
Following the release of two fantastic albums, I wanted more music from Rufus Wainwright. The beautifully talented singer-songwriter has managed to impress a rather sizable audience with his sweeping melodies, detail-oriented arrangements, and evocative vocals. He is a master of his art—something which is apparent after but three albums.
While the most recent Want One isn’t as immediately gratifying as Poses or even Wainwright’s self titled debut, it still is rewarding for any existing fan. If Want One is to be your first exposure to the talented singer-songwriter, may I suggest first checking out his earlier work—in chronological order preferably. Wainwright is by no means a guy for everybody. His voice is odd—a delightful combination of Ben Folds on one hand and Jeff Buckley on the other. However, his unique ability to meld pop with opera, folk, or even tin pan at the drop of a hat is impressive. Even more impressive is that these songs are actually appealing and not at all dated.
The song of modern folkies Louden Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, Rufus first gigged steadily in Montreal. His father soon passed along his demos to a friend who subsequently passed them on to a Dreamworks executive who smartly signed him thereafter. The rest, my friends, is history. To date, Wainwright has indeed released three albums beginning with his self-titled 1998 debut. The most recent Want One is soon to be followed by sister release Want Two—but that album has yet to see the light of day.
Nobody listening to Wainwright should expect simplicity. At the core of his “poperettas” are lushly soundscaped melodies and magnificently powerful vocals. Everything comes together as a tidy package that could just as easily appeal to younger and older fans of a variety of musical genres. Personally, my interests tend toward slightly off-kilter alt-pop so Wainwright certainly fits the bill. As much as I do enjoy Wainwright’s music, I can honestly say that Want One is something of a disappointment. I really did go in expecting perfection as that was what I’d come to expect. Instead, Want One is merely better than average.
One thing I really do appreciate about this album that it is long (nearly an hour in length). Not so long as to grow boring, but long enough to really get a good idea of Wainwright’s direction and abilities. I enjoy everything about Want One, but must admit that many of the songs do blend together—a characteristic that grows increasingly tiresome as the album progresses. Despite the sameness problem, Want One does bring to the table a good number of outstanding songs. These are scattered throughout the release just frequently enough to break up the monotony.
Most excellent are songs like opener Oh What a World, Vicious World, Go or Go Ahead, Vibrate, and 14th Street to name but a few. There are others that also strike a much more minor chord but these songs are the ones that really put the album into perspective for me. Oh What a World is the perfect way to start the album with a sweeping, gorgeous, chunky arrangement. With a lovely arrangement of a choir, horns, and strings which are only bolstered by Wainwright’s voice it is yet another example of what I so like about the artist.
Continuing on, I do think the album’s high point is somewhere in the middle. The trio of songs Go or Go Ahead, Vibrate and 14th Street is impressive with the latter being quite possibly the most impressive offering of all of Want One. Wainwright possesses an incredibly mature but still playful air. A children’s choir meshes beautifully with his piano and nasally, boyish voice. This is definitely one of my favorite songs of his entire career to date.
Want One differs from the previous two releases in that it seems somewhat unfocused. Wainwright’s albums have always been focused. This album, despite the fact it’s still much better than the vast majority of music out there, feels thrown together. This new lackadaisical attitude is interesting, but not nearly as interesting as his carefully constructed previous albums. Want One is good. Want One is relatively entertaining, but it pales in comparison to both Rufus Wainwright and Poses. The sweet charm of the album lulls me to sleep. Wainwright’s voice is hypnotic. Want One is a disappointing album from a fantastically talented singer-songwriter.
So, unless you are already well acquainted with Rufus Wainwright it is advised that you first pick up his debut and sophomore followup before listening to Want One. This is a guy that deserves many, many more fans.
Rating: 3.5/5 stars
Track Listing:
01. Oh What a World
02. I Don’t Know What It Is
03. Vicious World
04. Movies of Myself
05. Pretty Things
06. Go or Go Ahead
07. Vibrate
08. 14th Street
09. Natasha
10. Harvester of Hearts
11. Beautiful Child
12. Want
13. 11:11
14. Dinner at Eight
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