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

'Want Two' was critically acclaimed by most in the music business. It was always going to be a hard act to follow. 'Release The Stars' is now meant to be Rufus Wainwright’s stab at a commercial attack on the charts. Not so. He has the looks, self deprecating charm, the clothes, and ultimately the talent. So, what ever happened to the agenda? Well, to be brutally honest, Wainwright is way above ‘selling-out’ to pander to financial / commercial needs or demands, though he secretly wants to be appreciated on a greater scale. Unquestionably, there’s no one around at the moment writing music like him – he’s in a league of his own. His only, and I stress, only downfall, is that he’s too sophisticated to be a real pop star.  In reality, this gorgeous album is possibly his best yet and a slight, slight step away from masterpiece 'Want Two', and equally impressive predecessor 'Want One'. There is an undeniable tad of universality to the songwriting, in snippets, though he retains all the sensibilities that made 'Want Two' such a triumph.

True to form, Wainwright’s singing remains supreme. His music comes from the heart (or another place beyond most people’s comprehension) and not the head. It has finally broken him into the mainstream consciousness, reaching number 2 in the UK album chart, (but after one week dropping to 11 w/c May 27), and building on his previous cult status. The feeling one gets, is that this could be the precursor to something even bigger in the future, because as we all know, this man is in it for the long run, and it shows at every level.

Dramatic ‘Do I Disappoint You’ is a fitting opener, though it’s pretty low key at the beginning, similar to ‘Agnus Dei’ (Want Two) which eventually explodes into a joyous audio experience - this rise is gradual until the back ups explode and the music erupts with brass, flutes, strings, cymbals and glockenspiel into a magnificent crescendo, which drops into a simple end. This is followed by single ‘Going To A Town’ which received rave reviews and plenty of air-play – a simple ballad that floats along with an abundance of melody and heartfelt lyrics, even though possessing a somber tone it remains ultimately hopeful as Rufus’ singing goes all majestic.