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His tenth album overall, Unfollow the Rules signifies an emphatic return to pop for Rufus Wainwright following a recording of his first opera (2015's Prima Donna) and a set of Shakespeare sonnets set to music (2016's Take All My Loves). It also represents a career marker of sorts; returning to Los Angeles and specifically Sound City Studios, where Wainwright recorded his 1998 eponymous debut, the songwriter has described it as a bookend to the first part of his career. A lush, theatrical, nearly hourlong 12-track set recorded with legendary producer Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Crowded House), it opens with the sleek pairing of Wainwright's vocals and a drum beat by Matt Chamberlain before "Trouble in Paradise" breaks open with dense, pointed vocal harmonies. A song reportedly inspired by fashionista Anna Wintour, its expanding instrumentation includes performances by the likes of Blake Mills, pianist Randy Kerber, and Rob Moose, who did string arrangements for the album. Horns, woodwinds, keyboards, and pedal steel guitar are among other components of the song's gorgeous, volatile textures. Though there are sparer moments that follow, even tracks like the piano ballad "Unfollow the Rules" and the ominous dirge "Early Morning Madness" -- a memorable piece that stands among Wainwright's best work -- eventually swell into something more rhapsodic or, in the case of the latter, devolve into cacophony as they progress. Perhaps the most easygoing track here is "You Ain't Big," which ventures into pre-rock country stylings for a playful take on one's status in the music industry if you fail to win over the heartland. Wistful closing track "Alone Time" features just one of the many elegant melodies on Unfollow the Rules and recalls to the rich vocal harmonies of the opener. While intended to hark back to the debut, at least in subtle ways (musicians including drummer Jim Keltner appear on both albums, and much of it was recorded live in the studio), Wainwright's growth as a composer/arranger and his experiences in the classical realm are apparent here. Though, to his credit as a tunesmith, his words and melodies remain center stage.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
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David Piltch, Bass Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Randy Kerber, Piano - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Greg Leisz, Pedal Steel Guitar - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - Dan Higgins, Clarinet, Flute, Saxophone - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Blake Mills, Timpani - Rob Moose, Arranger, String Arranger, Horn, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist - Laura Brenes, French Horn - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - Dan Higgins, Flute - Davey Faragher, Bass - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rob Moose, Arranger, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
David Piltch, Bass Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Randy Kerber, Piano - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - Greg Leisz, Pedal Steel Guitar - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - Dan Higgins, Flute - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Blake Mills, Timpani - Rob Moose, Arranger, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Laura Brenes, French Horn - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Petra Haden, Background Vocals - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - Davey Faragher, Bass Guitar - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - George Deoring, Guitar
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
David Piltch, Bass Guitar - Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Randy Kerber, Piano - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Kaveh Rastegar, Bass Guitar - Rob Moose, Arranger, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Lead Vocals, Background Vocals, MainArtist - Laura Brenes, French Horn - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Randy Kerber, Piano - Matt Chamberlain, Drums, Percussion - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - Davey Faragher, Bass Guitar - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rob Moose, Arranger, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Lead Vocals, MainArtist - Julianna Raye, Background Vocals - Laura Brenes, French Horn
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
David Piltch, Bass Guitar - Jim Keltner, Drums - Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Randy Kerber, Piano - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Blake Mills, Timpani - Rob Moose, Horn, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, String Arranger, MainArtist - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello - Jennie Muldaur, Background Vocals
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards, Programmer - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist - Jennie Kampani, Background Vocals
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, Piano, MainArtist
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
David Piltch, Bass Guitar - Jim Keltner, Drums - Bob Ludwig, Engineer - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Arranger, Keyboards - Dan Higgins, Saxophone - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rob Moose, Arranger, Horn, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist - Gabriel Cabezas, Cello
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - Matt Chamberlain, Drums - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer, Keyboards - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rob Moose, Arranger, String Arranger, Horn, Viola, Violin, Strings - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist - Martha Wainwright, Background Vocals - Thomas Bartlett, Piano - Nick Daley, Trombone
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Bob Ludwig, Engineer - MITCHELL FROOM, Producer - David Boucher, Producer, Engineer - Rufus Wainwright, Composer, Arranger, MainArtist
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2019 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
Album review
His tenth album overall, Unfollow the Rules signifies an emphatic return to pop for Rufus Wainwright following a recording of his first opera (2015's Prima Donna) and a set of Shakespeare sonnets set to music (2016's Take All My Loves). It also represents a career marker of sorts; returning to Los Angeles and specifically Sound City Studios, where Wainwright recorded his 1998 eponymous debut, the songwriter has described it as a bookend to the first part of his career. A lush, theatrical, nearly hourlong 12-track set recorded with legendary producer Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Crowded House), it opens with the sleek pairing of Wainwright's vocals and a drum beat by Matt Chamberlain before "Trouble in Paradise" breaks open with dense, pointed vocal harmonies. A song reportedly inspired by fashionista Anna Wintour, its expanding instrumentation includes performances by the likes of Blake Mills, pianist Randy Kerber, and Rob Moose, who did string arrangements for the album. Horns, woodwinds, keyboards, and pedal steel guitar are among other components of the song's gorgeous, volatile textures. Though there are sparer moments that follow, even tracks like the piano ballad "Unfollow the Rules" and the ominous dirge "Early Morning Madness" -- a memorable piece that stands among Wainwright's best work -- eventually swell into something more rhapsodic or, in the case of the latter, devolve into cacophony as they progress. Perhaps the most easygoing track here is "You Ain't Big," which ventures into pre-rock country stylings for a playful take on one's status in the music industry if you fail to win over the heartland. Wistful closing track "Alone Time" features just one of the many elegant melodies on Unfollow the Rules and recalls to the rich vocal harmonies of the opener. While intended to hark back to the debut, at least in subtle ways (musicians including drummer Jim Keltner appear on both albums, and much of it was recorded live in the studio), Wainwright's growth as a composer/arranger and his experiences in the classical realm are apparent here. Though, to his credit as a tunesmith, his words and melodies remain center stage.
© Marcy Donelson /TiVo
About the album
- 1 disc(s) - 12 track(s)
- Total length: 00:51:31
- Main artists: Rufus Wainwright
- Composer: Rufus Wainwright
- Label: BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
- Genre: Pop/Rock Pop
© 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC ℗ 2020 Rufus Wainwright under exclusive license to BMG Rights Management (US) LLC
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