Rufus Wainwright - 'Release The Stars' (Geffen) Released 14/05/07

Foot-tapping popster, ‘Tiergarten’ is a swaying gem with angelic backups that hold the piece tightly together. Simpler, but equally mesmerizing ‘Nobody’s Off The Hook’ shows Rufus’ classical leanings with viola, cello and violin boosting the emotions as he digs deep to convey the pain. His first rock blast ‘Between My Legs’ is saucy innuendo, naturally. A pulsating beat, wiry guitar and piano stomp away for 2/3 of the way until more stratospheric harmonies swirl around the dance infused beast.

Cute ‘Rules And Regulations’ finds the ‘lederhosen one’ turn in one of the best songs on the album with subliminal trumpets adding a Latino quality that defies belief. A more peaceful ‘Not Ready To Love’ hints at Wainwright’s reticence to let himself go, in the sweetest possible manner – the lyrics sum it all up. Another slow start for ‘Slideshow’, with it’s gentle ambling beats and country guitar, but again, this one explodes with a flourish of strings and backups propelling the drama which fades away for awhile, rising once more only to drop again over its 6 mins 21 secs, eventually fading away into thin air. 

A sparkling ‘Tulsa’, the shortest song here, is a pseudo classical tour –de- force with RW running riot on the ivories as the strings go into overdrive. Dreamy and misty ‘Leaving For Paris No.2’ swirls neatly, before flirtatious Sanssouci rides with the rippling flutes, harp and Spanish guitar texturising the MOR ambler. For the close – 'Release The Stars', it’s pomp and ceremony all the way – phew – with Rufus almost exploding. There’s a hidden track at the end, an instrumental reprise of – ‘Do I Disappoint You?’ No, never.