Out of the Game
(Universal)
Rufus Wainwright teams up with Mark Ronson for his seventh album. There is a perfect balance of everything we love about Rufus – his distinctive voice and grandeur, and enough new elements added to the mix to keep it interesting.
-Ronson has become an in demand producer after his own successful album and his work with the late Amy Winehouse, Lily Allen and Robbie Williams. His more recent collaborations, like the last Duran Duran album, had taken the shine off his star, With this collaboration Ronson’s back on form, bringing out the best in Wainwright.
This collection is a little like a lost album from the ‘70s, opening track Out of the Game is filled with gospel backing singers and trumpets, Barbara has swirling funk notes and could have been a lost song from Marvin Gaye, while Mantaub takes listeners back to Wainwright’s more familiar sound. Bitter Tears is a unique sounding song and a highlight of the album, captivating because someone has reined in Wainwright’s tendency to go OTT with the vocals. The song slowly builds, sounding like a pressure cooker with a merry-go-round trapped inside. On Sometime You Need the accompaniment is almost soft country and it works. Song for You has a chorus that is like an eagle taking flight. This album sounds both timeless and from other time.
Graeme Watson
