So this is Rufus Wainwright's latest album and it is the first I've listened to fully. I haven't listened to Want One and Want Two properly, so I had to give this a hearing before the concert. And I'm glad I did. It's pretty damn fantastic. His fabulously nasal voice merges perfectly with lush orchestral scoring and pretty damn good music making. "Do I disappoint You", the opening track, is powerful as it is soaring as it is sobering. Equally grand and robust is "Slideshow" where he debates a person's love, starting soft and introspective before demanding a change in pace from said person. The other songs are simply gorgeous as well. "Tulsa" and "Leaving for Paris No 2" are heartbreaking in their denial of the human spirit and "Between my Legs" is absolutely hilarious!

However. "Release the Stars" after the album's title is the clincher of the cd, ending it perfectly on a high note.

Fantastic! 4.5/5