Rufus Wainwright "Poses"

THE MORNING CALL | July 14, 2001

Rufus Wainwright (son of Louden), young, gay and living in New York City’s famous Hotel Chelsea, takes in the hotel’s atmosphere, which reeks of glorious despair and has influenced such musical “geniuses” as Leonard Cohen, and turns it into “Poses.” What could have been another pretentious bore (see “Rufus Wainwright,” his wildly overpraised, Van Dyke Parks-produced 1998 debut) is instead a mesmerizing collection of songs filled with downtrodden wit and a whiff of vaudeville. (It’s amazing how sharp Wainwright’s observations sound relieved of Parks’ syrupy production). “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk” chronicles Wainwright’s vices. “Greek Song” has an appropriately dreamy, exotic quality to its music, as Wainwright extols various Adonises he has met. The title track tells of a search for love that ends in addiction. “Evil Angel” is a bit of Goth rock. “Shadows” finds Wainwright reveling in the beauty of an L.A. night, while “California” puts the California dream over the top: “I don’t know this sea of neon/A thousand surfers and whiffs of freon/And my new grandma Bea Arthur.” Wainwright’s lyrics adore and abhor at the same time, with an attitude that has some comparing him to Cole Porter. Porter wasn’t as obtuse, but he did have a similar bone-dry humor. Wainwright’s vocals, which have a tendency to be flat and meandering, are much easier to take this time around as he demonstrates a greater range. Certainly, Wainwright is an acquired taste, and while his music generally ignores rock ‘n’ roll, he taps into rock’s artistic freedom for this collection of beatnik-cool by an artist who lives the lifestyle. A worthy disc for those in need of a challenging listen; the results are rewarding.