Out of the Game

Song: Out of the Game
Artist: Rufus Wainwright
Album: Out of the Game





I don't know what happened.

After loving Rufus's sophomore album "Poses," and backtracking to his great debut, then the one-two punch of the too long but often brilliant "Want I" and "Want II" double album, I lost complete interest in Rufus Wainwright.  "Release the Stars" left me with something new, a Rufus album I didn't like one song, his last "All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu" I didn't even make it through the whole thing, unlistenable.  And I'm not going to even mention the Judy Garland concert thing...

So I'm off the Rufus train, disregard my thoughts if you love every breathless moment... but things, despite the obvious effort, don't get much better on his latest album, the Mark Ronson produced "Out of the Game."

Okay, so I do like the breezy debut single and title track.  It's refreshingly light from a man who seemingly has become a parody of every criticism he's ever been thrown, but that guy is back in full-force on the tune-less "Montauk."  Oh well.

Musically "Out of the Game" is all over the place, throwing a bunch at the wall and seeing what sticks. It aims to be a pleaser but I hear nothing half as good as an "April Fools" or "Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk" not to mention an "Oh What a World" or "Gay Messiah."

Critics are mostly enjoying this record so I could be way off base.  I'm just officially out of the Rufus game.

Enjoy.

Out of the Game