Rufus Wainwright – Release the Stars
MUSIC Don’t be startled by the man wearing the lederhosen and looking like one of the Von Trapp kids on the inside sleeve of Release the Stars. That’s just Rufus Wainwright looking cute and deceivingly innocent on an amazing album that displays not only his growth as a singer-songwriter but as a man considering his place in the world.
Starting with the question in the opening song “Do I Disappoint You” right through the end of the twelfth and title track, Rufus pleases the ears with varied rhythms and thoughtful rhymes. Enlisting the help of Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant as producer, the use of lush orchestrations on most tunes only enhances the sound that seems to whirl and swirls to transport you over the rainbow.
Getting away or perhaps moving forward is a theme that creeps up in a few songs. In “Going to a Town” he, along with so many others, is so tired of the America evolved from the George Bush era. He reluctantly relates that he “may just never see you again” because he’s “got a life to live” relating to the fact that this country has a tendency to hold people back and judge those with opinions and lifestyles not held by the majority. ("Do you really think you go to hell for having loved?") His passion extends beyond politics to the heart as he softly sings the toned-down ballad “Leaving for Paris” most likely parting from a lover.
Balancing the use of flutes and trumpets, Rufus rocks with the crankin’ guitar-driven “Between My Legs.” And belts out that everyone must follow the instincts of the birds and the bees in “Rules and Regulations.” In “Slideshow” we get the accumulation of all of these elements as he wants to know “do I love you because you treat me so indifferently or is it the medication.” He’s looking for a return on his emotional and financial investment when he blares out that he “better be prominently featured in your next slideshow.” And don't we all want want to be our loved one's hot topic?
With subtleties and metaphors Rufus always puts himself out there. It’s the variety of themes and sounds that has made the entire album my favorite set of songs all summer long. To answer the first question, Rufus does not disappoint.
