Talented
chamber pop
troubadour
Rufus Wainwright
followed up his startlingly fresh debut album with the 2001 release
Poses
. While his self-titled first album was very much a work by
Wainwright
(aided by his contributing producers),
seems to be more of a group effort, with the young composer allowing the other performers on the album to lend their talents, creating an even fuller, more "live" sound. Both
's younger sister
Martha
and son of
British folk
near-legends
Richard
and
Linda Thompson
,
Teddy Thompson
contribute harmony vocals which soar above
Rufus
' affecting moan like the choir he must hear in his head. Produced by
Pierre Marchand
(
Sarah McLachlan
), the album continues the same outstretched, enveloping sound established by
's earlier work, but contributors like contemporary composer
Damian le Gassick
Propellerheads
'
Alex Gifford
push in different directions, adding understated drum loops and gritty beats in unexpected places. Above all of the studio gimcrackery and pedigreed guest stars floats
himself, whose introspective, wry, and heart-wrenching songwriting remains his true strength (although his leisurely operatic tenor is not far behind). The clunking, loping
"Greek Song"
evokes the sprawl of an impossible
Ingmar Bergman
spaghetti Western, while the swaggering
"California"
shows a sunny exterior masking the song's satirical sneer. Amidst this sonic barrage, a high point comes in the cover of patriarch
Loudon Wainwright III
's
"One Man Guy."
Performed by
, and
's simple acoustic guitar, these three grown children of the '70s
folk
movement embrace the song faithfully, basking in their own harmonies and offering a respite from the blissfully lush
orchestral pop
that surrounds it. While
shows growth and worthwhile exploration, the album's "group" feel suffers only slightly from being less intimate than
's first album. Although his contributors add much, there was something blushingly personal about his debut that may have gotten a little buried this time around. That being said,
is still a spectacular album, brimming over with
's trademark
popera
and young romantic wishes. At times the album is beautifully discordant and sonically chilling, but often hints at warm grins with mischievous winks. ~ Zac Johnson