Wainwright's Talks About Creation of Second Album 'Poses'-(U. Miami)
By: Diana Pastrana - U-WIRE
September 20th 2001 5:22am
(U-WIRE) CORAL GABLES, Fla. -- Not everyone enjoys banging their head to heavy guitars and loud beats. Not everyone likes to swallow the candy coated, over produced, commercial pop of the new millennium either. However, for those that do get pleasure from passionate melodies, profound lyrics, and a sensitive, yet powerful gifted voice, Rufus Wainwright is the perfect treat. "Someone called it 'modern standards.' Someone else called it 'popera.' I classify my music as entertainment. You're there; I'm the show. I'm here to serve you," says Wainwright of his style of music. And it's precisely his charisma and rapport with the audience, together with his musical genius, that made Wainwright one of the most talked about artists to emerge in 1998, being named Best New Artist by Rolling Stone and his self-titled debut album having earned Top 10 Album of the Year honors in: Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Los Angeles Times and Washington Post. It's 2001 and Rufus Wainwright finds himself stuck between mainstream success and anonymity. However, with a new album out titled Poses, and a 32-date tour, his popularity is increasing. And there is no reason why he shouldn't be celebrated; Poses is one of the most solid albums released this year. "I like to think of this record as a play with a cast of intriguing characters," says Wainwright of his new album. "My voice is the star of the play." The tracks included in Poses were selected from numerous Wainwright wrote over the course of several creatively flourishing months. They treat varied themes such as: uncontrolled self-abandonment, spiritual descend, hope, and love's darker side in a very beautiful, yet cynical manner. "After I wrote 'Poses,' I knew I had a record," Wainwright explains. "I realized that song would be the anchor; a lot of the album's material springs from it." He elaborates on the disc's subject matter: "I was writing about things in my life as they were happening, which is why I recorded a lot of the songs pretty soon after they were written. I was tackling more personal subject matter this time." Son of folk music pioneers, the Montreal native Wainwright started playing the piano at age six, and at fourteen he was nominated for a JUNO (the Canadian equivalent to a Grammy) as Most Promising Young Artist, while also being nominated for a Genie (the Canadian counterpart to an Oscar) for Best Song in a Film. Coming out as a homosexual while still in his teens, Wainwright studied opera briefly before turning away from classical performance towards pop rock. He began a solo career in the mid-'90s, performing in small clubs before signing with DreamWorks, resulting in the release of Rufus Wainwright during the spring of 1998. Three years later, Wainwright has matured greatly not only as a musician, but also as a songwriter. His energy can be felt throughout the whole album, although halfway through it, the pace starts slowing down. "I could be a great star/ Still I'm far from happy" he brags in 'Shadows', one of the most emotive songs on Poses. 'California' and 'Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk' are the highlight tracks due to its addictive, sardonic, and adventurous spirit that represent the broad feel of the album. For those who are intrigued by the stylish and bittersweet beauty of Rufus Wainwright's music, he will be opening for Tori Amos on September 28 in West Palm Beach. Otherwise, getting a copy of Poses may suffice. Coming in contact with Wainwright's music is almost as easy as his music contacting you. "After all, the most important thing is to communicate as clearly with the listeners as I can", Wainwright says, "I tried not to think too much about what the response might be beyond that."
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