Rufus Wainwright returns to the pop foray with his eagerly anticipated new album, Out of the Game, to be released May 1st on Decca. Produced by the celebrated Mark Ronson, this is the seventh studio album from one of the most accomplished, contemporary singer-songwriters today.
A labor of love for both Wainwright and Ronson, Rufus calls Out of the Game,
“the most pop album I’ve ever made,” while Ronson recently stated,
“it’s the best work of my career.” Recorded in New York in the fall of
2011, the twelve songs are hook-laden, memorably arranged tracks
reminiscent of Rufus’ early work, following 2010’s more quietly intimate
outing, Songs For Lulu.
From
the uptempo opening chords of the title track and first single, to the
gospel tinged rock of ‘Jericho,’ through the beauty of ‘Sometimes You
Need’ and the emotional pull of ‘Candles,’ this new disc ranks alongside
Rufus Wainwright’s very best.
Musicians on the album include the Dap-Kings who Mark used for the groundbreaking Amy Winehouse Back To Black album
and his own ‘Record Collection’; Wilco’s Nels Cline; Nick Zinner of
Yeah Yeah Yeahs; Andrew Wyatt from Miike Snow; Sean Lennon and Martha
Wainwright.
Influences, as ever, were all encompassing. Mark says Out of the Game “has
a real 70’s, Laurel Canyon spirit” while Rufus cites “all the greats-
Elton, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie - basically the brash and beautiful.
It’s also very Rufus.”
Affectionately referred to by Elton John as "the greatest songwriter on the planet" and praised by The New York Times for
his “genuine originality,” Grammy nominee Rufus Wainwright has
established himself as one of the great male vocalists and songwriters
of his generation. He is the son of folk singers Loudon Wainwright III
and Kate McGarrigle, and brother of Martha Wainwright, but Rufus has
achieved his success by carving out his own singular sound in the worlds
of rock, opera, theater, dance and film.
