Born to celebrated folk singers Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, it comes as no surprise as to why Rufus McGarrigle Wainwright truly embodies the adage: The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Having learned how to play piano when he was a little boy, Wainwright went on to spend his teenage years performing and touring alongside his family in the McGarrigle Sisters and Family band.
RUFUS WAINWRIGHT/ VIBRATE: THE BEST OF RUFUS WAINWRIGHT
At 25, he released an acclaimed eponymous debut which promptly won over music critics far and wide for its wholesome fusion of orchestral arrangements, operatic flair and wildly original, thought-provoking songwriting. Over the course of the following years, Wainwright consistently put out a series of musical projects which has resulted in an impressive oeuvre including seven LPs, three EPs, three live albums, numerous soundtracks and compilations as well as a musical adaptation of Shakespeare sonnets and an opera, Prima Donna.
Given such a solid and diverse back catalogue, it seems appropriate for Wainwright to whip together a best-of album to reflect his illustriously restless career. As such, Vibrate is a collection of 18 stunning tracks (16 more on the deluxe version) pulled from his past, plus one new song. The selection here is thorough and reflective of his recurring themes of love, longing and everything in between — from early material such as April Fools, Poses, Oh What a World, Hallelujah (from Shrek: Music from the Original Motion Picture) and Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk to the more recent work such as Out of the Game and Sometimes You Need (both from Out of the Game).
The only new track, Me and Liza, which is also the album’s first single, brilliantly showcases the singer’s witty and whimsical side. Referring to long-reigning diva Liza Minnelli, Wainwright pokes fun at the said artist crooning: “Blowing on the embers of fame/Burning down the house of your name/Everything can go up in flames/As long as you have something to frame.” Other highlights lie in the career-defining numbers such as the politically jaded Going to a Town (“I’m so tired of you America/Making my own way home … I’ve got a life to lead, America”), the ode-to-his-dad Dinner At Eight and the beautiful simplicity of The Art Teacher and cover of the Beatles’ Across the Universe.
As a best-of compilation, Vibrate succeeds in encapsulating the essence of Wainwright as a well-rounded, multi-talented and often-eccentric artist by offering a comprehensive retrospective of work since the beginning of his career.
Not many musicians today have the ability to combine endearing pop sensibility with grandiose flourishes so casually and effortlessly as he has.
For the uninitiated looking to get acquainted with the many wonders of Wainwright, Vibrate is a good place to start. If you’re already a fan, however, the deluxe version will round off your collection nicely.
THE PLAYLIST
Cut the Crab/ Feel My Eyes
Made up of Thitinun Swasdikula Na Ayudhaya, Nuttakorn Kraivichien and Nopawat Likitwong, electro upstarts Cut the Crab are the latest force to be reckoned with in the local independent music scene. Their debut single, Feel My Eyes, demonstrates their electro-dance aesthetics and their ability to craft something harmonious using a combination of a drum machine and various synth effects. While the track recalls the sound of an old-school video game gone slightly berserk with not so much in the way of lyrics (only a repeated one-liner about wanting to see a woman’s face and not letting go), it is still highly danceable.
The Chainsmokers/ Selfie
It was only a matter of time before someone, somewhere came up with a song dedicated to the selfie craze, and The Chainsmokers have beaten everyone to the draw. Over a traditional electronic dance music, the DJ duo of Drew Taggart and Alex Pall adeptly addresses the self-portrait phenomenon with a painfully true-to-life monologue: “Can you guys help me pick a filter? I don’t know if I should go with XX Pro or Valencia/I wanna look tan/What should my caption be? I want it to be clever.” The accompanying video, uploaded on YouTube less than two months ago, has racked up close to 40 millions views to date, earning itself a viral status similar to Baauer’s Harlem Shake and Ylvis’s The Fox last year.
The Black Keys/ Fever
With the bluesy brilliance of their previous hits Tighten Up, Howlin’ For You and Lonely Boy still fresh in mind, the Black Keys’ new single Fever automatically pales in comparison. While we can appreciate the track’s New Wave influences (a catchy synth line, sneaky bass, layered vocals), it lacks that distinctive vintage-rock punch the duo are known for. As a result, Fever plods along instead of propelling fervently through, failing to convey the urgent desperation of the following hook: “Fever ’cause I’m breaking/Fever got me aching/Fever, why don’t you explain?/Break it down again/Fever got me guilty/Just go ahead and kill me.”
Paolo Nutini/ Scream (Funk My Life Up)
The Scottish singer-songwriter is finally back following five years of silence with Scream (Funk My Life Up), the first single from his forthcoming third studio album, Caustic Love. Starting with a slab of futuristic synths, the track then changes its tune and morphs into old-school soul territory with plenty of funky basslines and glorious horns. Nutini still brings his A game vocally, delivering impassioned raspiness as he croons: “She’s the bass, she’s the beat, she’s the rhythm, she’s the band/Just funk my life up/And the girl, so fine/Makes you wanna scream hallelujah.”
Shakira/ Empire
Hot on the heels of her collaboration with Rihanna on Can’t Remember to Forget You, Shakira releases Empire, a dramatic ballad that finds her revisiting her rock roots. “Take off all of your skin/And breathe when you are free/Shake off all of your sins/And give them to me,” the Colombian diva invites in the opening verse before doing the song’s title justice with her soaring vocals during the chorus, “Like the empires of the world unite, we are alive.”
