Musician Rufus Wainwright has revealed the track listing for his forthcoming ninth studio album Unfollow the Rules.
Fans of the artist got their first listen to some of the new tunes last week when the singer included them in his Perth Festival show, where he explained the title for his long awaited album came from something his daughter said.
It’s been a long time since the singer put out an album of new material, his last album in 2016 was a adaptation of a series of sonnets by Shakespeare. For the last few years Wainwright has been busy painting on a bigger canvas creating operas. Unfollow the Rules will be his first album of new songs since 2012’s Out of the Game.
As the track listing for the new record is revealed Wainwright has also released another tune from the collection to streaming services, it’s called Damsel in Distress.
“Damsel In Distress is an homage to Joni Mitchell in some ways,” Wainwright said in a media release. “particularly the structure. My husband and I now live in Laurel Canyon. I wasn’t that familiar with Joni’s music but Jörn became obsessed and took me on a journey into her music.
“We ended up hanging out with her and I get now why she’s one of the greats. So it’s part Laurel Canyon, part a song about a personal relationship that I’m trying to come to terms with, but mostly my Mitchell virginity being broken.”
The new album is produced by Mitchell Froom who has previously helmed some exceptionally good records by everyone from Crowded House to Paul McCartney, Richard Thompson, Suzanne Vega and Randy Newman.
Wainwright says the new album, which was recorded in his new home of Los Angeles was also inspired by middle age, married life, fatherhood, friends, loss, London, and Laurel Canyon.
“What I would like this album to symbolise is a coming together of all the aspects of my life which have made me a seasoned artist,” Wainwright said. “My aim is to emulate the greats of yore whose second acts produced their finest work – Leonard Cohen when he made The Future, when Sinatra became Sinatra in his 40s, when Paul Simon put out Graceland. Pop music isn’t always about your waistline. Many songwriters improve with age. I’m flying the flag for staying alive!”
Unfollow The Rules was preceded late last year by the first single, Trouble In Paradise, that arrived alongside a gender-blurring video, directed by award-winning Canadian photographer and filmmaker Mia Donovan.
Unfollow The Rules has already been met with remarkable praise from some of Wainwright’s friends, fans, and fellow artists.
“This is pop music on a grand scale; sweeping, symphonic, unabashedly emotional and fearlessly agnostic in style and delivery,” said Sting, while Cyndi Lauper described the album as “Rufus’ Pet Sounds. It sounds like a culmination of everything he has done. It’s a great album, catchy and intelligent.”
OUTinPerth has also had a listen to the album ahead of its release and it’s quickly become one of our favourite records of 2020. The album is presented as three acts, with twelve songs in the new collection.
Unfollow the Rules Tracklisting
ACT I
1. Trouble in Paradise
2. Damsel in Distress
3. Unfollow The Rules
4. You Ain’t Big
ACT II
5. Romantical Man
6. Peaceful Afternoon
7. Only The People That Love
8. This One’s For The Ladies (That Lunge)
ACT III
9. My Little You
10. Early Morning Madness
11. Hatred
12. Alone Time
Rufus Wainwright’s Unfollow the Rules will be released on Friday 24th April 2020.
OIP Staff
