Rufus Wainwright - Want Two (2004)

(originally posted on Facebook)

 
Thanks to Rdio, I have become familiar with a new-to-me musical style known as baroque rock or baroque pop. This is a mixture of classical music and pop rock, probably most popularized by The Moody Blues. Rufus Wainwright uses this highly theatrical style to paint his album in irony, lament, and tragedy. The arrangements are beautiful, the melodies unfamiliar, and Wainwright's vocals are a nice mix of softness with powerful tone. About my only complaint is that it's a bit on the long side, especially the last few tracks. Still this is the sort of music I hope to find on a list of album I have to hear before I die... something unlike most of the music I'd heard in my life. 4 stars.