Unfollow the Rules

by Rufus Wainwright

Overview

His tenth album overall, Unfollow the Rules signifies an emphatic return to pop for Rufus Wainwright following a recording of his first opera (2015's Prima Donna) and a set of Shakespeare sonnets set to music (2016's Take All My Loves). It also represents a career marker of sorts; returning to Los Angeles and specifically Sound City Studios, where Wainwright recorded his 1998 eponymous debut, the songwriter has described it as a bookend to the first part of his career. A lush, theatrical, nearly hourlong 12-track set recorded with legendary producer Mitchell Froom (Paul McCartney, Elvis Costello, Crowded House), it opens with the sleek pairing of Wainwright's vocals and a drum beat by Matt Chamberlain before "Trouble in Paradise" breaks open with dense, pointed vocal harmonies. A song reportedly inspired by fashionista Anna Wintour, its expanding instrumentation includes performances by the likes of Blake Mills, pianist Randy Kerber, and Rob Moose, who did string arrangements for the album. Horns, woodwinds, keyboards, and pedal steel guitar are among other components of the song's gorgeous, volatile textures. Though there are sparer moments that follow, even tracks like the piano ballad "Unfollow the Rules" and the ominous dirge "Early Morning Madness" -- a memorable piece that stands among Wainwright's best work -- eventually swell into something more rhapsodic or, in the case of the latter, devolve into cacophony as they progress. Perhaps the most easygoing track here is "You Ain't Big," which ventures into pre-rock country stylings for a playful take on one's status in the music industry if you fail to win over the heartland. Wistful closing track "Alone Time" features just one of the many elegant melodies on Unfollow the Rules and recalls to the rich vocal harmonies of the opener. While intended to hark back to the debut, at least in subtle ways (musicians including drummer Jim Keltner appear on both albums, and much of it was recorded live in the studio), Wainwright's growth as a composer/arranger and his experiences in the classical realm are apparent here. Though, to his credit as a tunesmith, his words and melodies remain center stage. ~ Marcy Donelson

Product Details

Release Date:	07/10/2020
Label:	Bmg
UPC:	4050538512632
Rank:	89524

Tracks

Disc 1

1. Trouble in Paradise
2. Damsel in Distress
3. Unfollow the Rules
4. You Ain't Big
5. Romantical Man
6. Peaceful Afternoon
7. Only the People That Love
8. This One's for the Ladies (That Lunge!)

Disc 2

9. My Little You
10. Early Morning Madness
11. Devils and Angels (Hatred)
12. Alone Time

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Rufus Wainwright   Primary Artist,Piano,Guitar,Vocals,Vocals (Background)
Randy Kerber   Piano
David Piltch   Bass
Kaveh Rastegar   Bass
Julianna Raye   Vocals (Background)
Blake Mills   Guitar,Timpani
Petra Haden   Vocals (Background)
Matt Chamberlain   Drums,Percussion
Martha Wainwright   Vocals (Background)
Mitchell Froom   Keyboards
Dan Higgins   Flute,Clarinet,Saxophone
Rob Moose   Viola,Violin
Davey Faragher   Bass
Thomas Bartlett   Piano
Jenni Muldaur   Vocals (Background)
Jim Keltner   Drums
Gerry Leonard   Guitar
Nicholas Daley   Tambourine
Adam Levy   Guitar
Gabriel Cabezas   Cello
Jennifer Ellis Kampani   Vocals (Background)
Laura Brenes   French Horn
George Deoring   Guitar,Mandolin

Technical Credits

Bob Ludwig   Mastering
Mitchell Froom   Producer,Programming,Woodwind Arrangement,Saxophone Arrangement
Rob Moose   Arranger,Horn Arrangements,String Arrangements
David Boucher   Mixing,Engineer,Producer
Rufus Wainwright   Composer,Lyricist,Illustrations,Horn Arrangements,Vocal Arrangement,String Arrangements
Dale Voelker   Design
Norman Seeff   Photography
David Goggin   Photography