Want Two

Loved! I always think I should listen to more Rufus and look at me! I'm doing it! Everything is big and grand and beautiful.

I enjoyed this very much. I’ve been listening to Folkocracy for a couple of months & love his song choices.

This is one of the most gorgeous albums of all time. Rufus Wainwright's voice strikes the perfect balance between whine and perfect pitch to paint a truly hurt individual, which many of these songs needed to be perfectly executed. His piano playing, and all the instrumentation for that matter, is simple yet very effective, and there is such a beautiful amalgamation of pop and ballad that its easily very near the top of its class. Perhaps its a tad long, but its hard to argue that time is wasted, as every second in every song feels purposeful, and no song is dragged out more than needed, not even the nine minute finale. It just all feels so grand, and I can only assume Wainwright was going for that, and in that case he nailed it. Shame he's known for little outside of his Hallelujah cover, because this proves he has every right to stand amongst the greats from the time such as Jeff Buckley (which he pays a lovely tribute to) and Elliott Smith. I only wish this album was more beloved, as I fail to see how this isn't considered one of the greatest albums of the 2000s, because it is.

I apparently am a Rufus Wainright fan. Because I loved this. The entire album is just amazing.

Apparently I know his one song, the one that he has with Florence Welch. This must be good, I like the witchy album cover too. First song, the Arabic door cracking sound start is unique, but no idea how it will progress. Also the song name is in different language. WOW operatic start. I love his voice. This was used for some film trailer. I love this for now, it's slow vocal Arabic vibed song, heaven indeed. Oh sorry, it may not be Arabic, since the name is in Latin. Violin joined in, love it. I wasn't bored, though it was repetitive (in a good way) Second song and wtf beat fully changed, it's upbeat. It's still vocalic though, I love his voice I can't. I love the vibe. Ohh this is chamber pop plus melancholic, I am crazy about chamber, they mostly devour so. The fast paced piano, LOVE IT. The beat, his voice(yes mentioned it again), production is veery good for my ears. He also has an album named "want one" I hope I listen to that too, if it has the same vibe even better. Choir came in for a little time. It was quite progressive at the end. Florence + the machine vibes low key. Third song, so satisfying already. It's slow with a guitar going in the background, simple but great. There is woman voice harmonizing with him. Beat progressed. Piano in my left ear softly. The instrumental break is witchy AF. He vocals every second and I love it. Such melancholia and chilliness. Just magnificent. 4th song, royal vibes with the violin and piano. The instrumental break is very classical, and I'm quite fond of that. He fast talks in some parts, which makes it much better. Instruments dropped, it's clean now, with piano softly playing, he vocals again, then beat increases and ends the song so well. 5th song, such fun I didn't expect I would have with this album. His voice is soothing. Omg the lyrics are about an art teacher whose works are so good that the students is amazed by it, but can't tell the teacher. It's about a school girl, who married another guy, but still loves this art teacher (might also be Rufus's gay attraction). Very beautiful song. Also the clapping and cheering at the end transitioned into the... 6th song, I heard homosexuals, have never heard that word in a song now that I think of it. There's piano and another instrument playing, now choir came in. It wasn't a stand out since it was a short song, but I loved it still. 7th song, has a different vibe, the piano plays better notes. It's more sad too. Violin came in now. It's about an unreachable love affair, I think. The overall opera vibe is so good. 8th song, he counted in my ears?! Hello, that was kinda hot(I'm bi so one of the reasons I like this album I guess) "He will then be reborn from 1970's porn" umm. Oh apparently that's nothing, I just read the genius meaning and he's so gay, he mixed Christianity and gayness. He said "coming" and there was a slight slurping sound, oh my god. I love him even more. Also he said he will be baptized in "cum" as jesus did with the spirit. The bridge is very good with that woman choir. And now he will give an oral to someone, didn't expect this from him tbh. One of the best because of the lyrics. 9th song, now he used mythology to compare his relationship to the guy that died, which he hated, but is still sad about his death. It has slight violins in the background, his voice so fine. He has a popularized song "hallelujah" by Leonard Cohen(I love him) and he mentioned it here. I love the instrumental break, it's only piano yet it has a spark in it, it's progressing with the fast paced piano and violin. Fuck it hit the high note and scared me. 10th song, violin starts, his voice is different here, it has an auto tune vibe, and now not. It's both of them, one after eachother. Literally, he does two voice types, wow, unique. The unexpected slash sound. Choir voices came back. 11th song, starting with catchy lyrics sung by a woman, oh Rufus came back. This is a little more upbeat because of the fast paced beat. "Du-ru-ru-m" first time he sings, but nothing exact. Such vibe, I would definitely listen to this album again. The ending repeated the chorus, and it's so nice. 12th song, and 9 minutes? Didn't expect that, must be a good one. This song is about how he only found old Chinese food in a refrigerator and called it "old whore's diet", quite fun. Even more fun is the beat change, the woman vocalising and the drums being tropical. Violin solo slays, now added the woman's vocals. Weird ending (good way). 13th song, it's french, I think. It's not a different vibe, quite short though. Love his french. It ended with applause and cheering, what fun. It was not as unique, but I enjoyed it as expected. There was one song unavailable, but I finished it officially, and I loved every second of it, definitely 5 stars. It was unique, full of vocals. Changed the vibe, but I needed more Florence, however he is being himself. Had everything slow and melancholic songs should have.

The Cover Art of the album is beautiful, Austrian in the 1920s? 'Marius de Vries' as producer. Know this guy, but why? Google: producer of some Massive Attack songs on protection album. So my hopes were very high. And not disappointed. Melancholical music with amazing voice. The eunuch nephew of Tom Waits

pretty good

enjoyed this one a lot

wow I just loved this

Amazing!

Fun

Want One and Two are such amazing albums, Rufus has a very unique voice and his songs are just as beautiful.

Absolutely beautiful, lush and chill pop. A few of the slower songs were a bit too similar and long for my taste, but overall this was a gorgeous album. I’d give it 9/10 but since it’s a 5 point scale I’m going with full marks.

Stunning. Floored me on the first listen. Arty, inventive, quirky, but musical as fuck. Legendary.

loved it

sonzao bem diferenciado, pegada meio transcedental

I only knew him for Hallelujah, so I didn't expect to love this album so much. It's pretty low energy for most of the album, but it still manages to entertain me. It was one of those albums where I could lay on my bed, close my eyes, put it on and enjoy. I was entranced by the first song, and that feeling remained throughout the album. Memphis Skyline is a rather sweet song lyrically. Similarly, many songs on this album stood out because of their subject matter. It's hard to pick favourites, but I believe my favourite songs were This Love Affair, Angus Dei, and Memphis Skyline.

Great songwriting. I love his voice. Favorite songs are Memphis Skyline and Art Teacher. Pretty cool that Levon Helm played on one of the tunes.

What an incredible opening for an album. Peach trees is amazing, so many cool layers. The piano is so cool, and the beachy slide guitars. The songwriting and harmony on this record are incredible. So haunting and beautiful.

I loved this. Listened twice. Favorites were The One You Love and Old Whores Diet. The Art Teacher is so fucking interesting. And funny? And sad?

Beautiful

Amazing voice, honest and unique stories in his lyrics, captures you like a moment in time.

Lögin eru vissulega misgóð, og stundum sakna ég þess að heyra ekki menntaðri rödd, sérstaklega í upphafslaginu Agnus Dei, en það er sem er gott er alveg frábært. Flottur og innilegur söngur, óvænt twist, æðislegar útsetningar, fjör og angurværð á víxl. Mæli heilshugar með.

holy SHIT! fuckin A! 10/10, man this is far out!

This Rufus album is a full send - takes out all the stops.

Top ten

Louche and charming album

My type of music

super into this

unexpected gem. I liked the sound. Reminded me of Kevin Max.

Понравилось, но очень сладко

Потрясно!

I like it

Muse father lol

349/1089 vocal is quite Muse-y which i like i can understand the complaints of it sounding a bit pretentious and potentially having annoying fans but i still like it a lot tbf faves: Old Whore’s Diet, Gay Messiah, The One You Love 79/100

Can't figure out how much I like this. Anybody else hear Pastries instead of Peach Trees?

Really like this guy's voice, not sure how I hadn't heard of him. Going to be listening more. Operatic and theatre like. My songs in class were always described as operatic. This guy also sounds a lot like Thom Yorke

loved revisiting this. His songwriting is so funny and personal, and the orchestration makes it such a cinematic listen.

Love his voice and many of the songs

Har litt lyst til å høre på det igjen, ingen sanger som utpreget seg, men kul vibe på artisten

i liked this guy

It was good 👍🙂👌. My favorites were The One You Love, Peach Trees, and The Art Teacher. The whole album reminded me of Pyramid Song by Radiohead. Overall, I would give it a 4/5! 🫡🫠

I enjoyed this

As a Rufus fan, I can clearly see that he missed his calling in writing show tunes. Solid album. Easy to listen to

A singular talent “Conversational opera”

I thought this was pretty good. I don’t listen to Rufus wainwright that much but he has 2 songs that I def had a phase with(not from this album). I like his voice.

hell yess...... our gayest album yet......... it's maybe not somethin i'd put on all the time but still an enjoyable listen. "agnus dei" is a really strong opening track, i love the droning strings and chant-like vocals a lot, and obviously i enjoyed "the art teacher" and "gay messiah" for. gay reasons. i'm also really into the weird vocal style he went for on "the one you love", the slow slurring into each word makes it feel almost like he's singing backwards? its cool! idk if i could ever lock in fully for every track, there's quite a few here that do just pass over me just due to me not being that into soft baroque pop. but for the ones i can, its a lot of fun. having listened to this is gonna completely change the context of that one scene from shrek for me forever i think.

Honestly I get a little excited whenever I see top reviews dismiss an album for being melodramatic and pretentious, because I know I'll probably like it. And that definitely is the case here. A lot of songs, a lot of stages, and quite frankly a lot of balls for 2004. I'll probably listen to Want One soon so I can get the full picture, but for an album full of personal lyrics and sometimes very baroque situations, it constantly strikes an electric tinge of relatability in love, longing, introspection, familiarity, regrets, fears, and frustrations. Wainwright has said this album is concerned with "the world we live in" and I definitely think it comes off. And "Gay Messiah" is so good you gotta clap for that one.

I've never done a full dive on Rufus, but I've often wanted to. The only other album I've heard in full is *Folkocracy*, which I like a little bit better, but I absolutely loved this one as well. Something about the yearning in his voice always gets me. I really need to dig into the rest. 8.85 ★★★★

What a voice. And definitely not what I expected from this list. But I'm really glad it's included because I need to broaden my listening habits. And it includes Antony/Anohni, a voice that I'll always love no matter the identity in which he/she comes. Just a shining example of why one continues on this journey. 4 "wearing tubesocks with style" stars. Agnus Dei, The One You Love, Little Sister, Gay Messiah, Memphis Skyline, Waiting For A Dream were highlights. Honorable mention: Old Whore's Diet.

maybe a little too concentrated a dose of his particular voice, but i liked it a lot. 3.5

A kind of tongue in cheek semi whimsical album. The music and album production is excellent, the vocals are okay, and the lyrics are great. I can't really say I loved all of it, but it was enjoyable. From what I've heard of Rufus Wainwright, I would expect nothing less than this.

4 After the first song I was dreading the rest but after that I actually really enjoyed it. The guy is a really good songwriter and sounding a bit like thom Yorke isn't exactly a bad thing

More low-key and less direct than its sister album. More character driven, too, particularly the high school girl lament "The Art Teacher" or the humorous "Gay Messiah". There's also more religious imagery going on here from the get go with opener "Agnus Dei". It may not be as immediate as its predecessor, but it's just as good, and these Want albums remain Rufus' crowning achievement. Key tracks: The One You Love The Art Teacher Waiting for a Dream Old Whore's Diet

Some really fun themes and motifs on the album. A little weird to get started but once it got going it picked up nicely.

So nice to listen to. It's almost like a musical.

It's raining so this album really sets the right tone today.

Weird lyrics but I strangely like this, with the exception of a couple songs. Favourite might be “Crumb by crumb”

Overall pretty good, I do enjoy Rufus Wainwright, I have his self-titled CD but haven't heard it in a long time. Overall 4 here I think.

That's more like it. Knew absolutely zero about this going in, never heard of the artist before. The first two tracks were totally unexpected. Sometimes the classical thing gets a bit overbearing and gives me kind of a musical theatre feeling that I don't like ("little sister"). Very melodramatic but I enjoyed that in a gay way. Felt like actually discovering something new, which I haven't experienced much of on this list so far.

I really really loved this album. The vocals remind me of Radiohead a bit, but the instrumental is beautiful and gorgeous and really really soul touching, yknow? I really really enjoyed this album. Especially the first song on the album. So good.

Ok so we got another one for the books of "really frickin good but idk if I'm going to add any of these songs to a playlist" Like insane quality, great writing, musicality is THERE. I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this album, would rec to give it a try. just I don't think i'll listen to any of these songs ever again. The only song I outright didnt like was Old Whore's diet The One You Love Little Sister (Sounds like some English castle royalty music but isn't cheesy?!) Hometown Waltz Crumb by Crumb (GG!!!)

On avait laissé Rufus Wainwright en 2003, perché sur son canasson en armure de chevalier pour Want One. C’était un disque qui m’avait laissé un peu sur ma faim. Un truc poli, limite agaçant par moments, bref, un petit 3 sur 5 qui ne cassait pas trois pattes à un canard. Mais voilà qu'un an plus tard, en 2004, le prodige revient avec le jumeau maléfique, le versant sombre, le bien nommé Want Two. Vendre cet album comme une version "sombre" de son prédécesseur, c'est à la fois vrai et un peu trompeur. Car le sombre selon Wainwright, c’est du velours noir froissé, des chandeliers qui pleurent de la cire sur des tapis persans et des drames d’opéra joués à huis clos après que les spectateurs sont partis. C’est baroque, c’est chargé, c’est boursouflé à en crever, mais contrairement à l'opus précédent, ici, l'excès sert un propos. On n'est plus dans la démonstration de force technique, on est plutôt dans une sorte d'exorcisme lyrique qui demande une sacrée dose de courage. Et il faut avoir une confiance absolue en son talent pour oser sortir un disque aussi peu en phase avec son époque. L’ouverture du disque est d’ailleurs un immense majeur levé à la face du monde radiophonique. "Agnus Dei" et six minutes de liturgie latine. Qui fait ça en 2004 ? Personne, à part un mec qui n’en a strictement rien à foutre de plaire au plus grand nombre. C’est solennel, c’est imposant, c’est presque étouffant de religiosité détournée. C’est le genre de morceau qui te pose un décor de cathédrale avant même que tu aies eu le temps de te servir un verre. On sent que Rufus s'amuse avec les codes du sacré pour mieux introduire son propre univers, un monde où la spiritualité et la chair se mélangent dans une étreinte permanente. C’est pompeux ? Oui, bien sûr. C’est prétentieux ? Sans doute. Mais c’est d’une beauté tellement insolente qu'on finit par fermer sa gueule et écouter la suite avec un respect qu’on n’avait pas forcément prévu d'accorder au départ. Et la suite, c’est un grand huit émotionnel où on passe de la pop sophistiquée de "The One You Love" à des moments de grâce absolue qui vous cueillent sans prévenir. Je pense évidemment à "The Art Teacher" qui est sans doute l'un des plus beaux morceaux de sa carrière, et aussi l’un des plus simples. Juste un piano et cette voix. Cette voix nasillarde, traînante, presque insupportable par moments, mais qui ici devient un instrument de précision chirurgicale. L’histoire de ce coup de foudre d’adolescente pour un prof d’art au Metropolitan Museum est racontée avec une économie de moyens qui tranche radicalement avec le reste de l’album. C’est là qu’on voit le génie du bonhomme : il est capable de te briser le cœur en trois accords et une mélodie qui semble avoir toujours existé. C’est pur, c’est triste, c’est du grand art, point barre. On est loin de l'armure de chevalier, on est dans la confession nue. Puis il y a la provocation, la vraie, celle qui fait grincer des dents les bien-pensants. "Gay Messiah" qui, sous ses airs de ballade presque folk, est un texte d’une irrévérence totale. Parler de baptême dans le sperme et de messie queer avec une telle douceur mélodique, c’est du pur génie subversif. C’est drôle, c’est acide, et ça apporte une respiration nécessaire au milieu de toute cette opulence orchestrale. Rufus n’est pas là pour être une icône propre sur elle, il est là pour foutre le bordel dans les consciences avec un sourire en coin et un verre de Chardonnay à la main. C’est cette dualité entre la haute culture classique et la réalité crue de ses désirs qui rend Want Two infiniment plus intéressant que son prédécesseur. Il ne joue plus au prince charmant, il nous montre ses cicatrices et ses obsessions les plus inavouables. On ne peut pas parler de cet album sans évoquer "Memphis Skyline". Hommage vibrant à Jeff Buckley, et peut-être l’un des moments les plus poignants du disque. On sent la filiation, le respect pour l’ange noyé, mais aussi la douleur de celui qui reste. La progression harmonique est majestueuse, on frôle le sublime sans jamais tomber dans le pathétique de bas étage. Rufus réussit le tour de force de rendre hommage à une légende sans se faire écraser par son ombre. C’est une chanson qui justifie à elle seule la place de l’album dans la liste de Dimery. On est dans la grande tradition des songwriters qui transforment le deuil en or massif, et Rufus s’en sort avec les honneurs. L’album s’étire, explore des recoins sombres, flirte avec l’expérimental sur la fin avec "Old Whore’s Diet", ce long trip de neuf minutes avec Anohni (qu’on appelait encore Antony à l’époque). C’est une conclusion étrange, hypnotique, presque dérangeante. On a l’impression d’assister à une procession de fin de fête, quand les masques tombent et que la réalité devient un peu floue. C’est long, oui, peut-être trop pour certains, mais c’est cohérent avec cette volonté de ne rien retenir. Rufus nous livre tout, le génie comme les errances, la lumière comme la fange. C’est ce qui fait la force de ce disque : il est vivant, il palpite, il est imparfait dans sa démesure même. On sort de là un peu rincé, avec l’impression d’avoir traversé un opéra de poche qui aurait duré toute une nuit. Au final, si Want One était une promesse un peu timide, Want Two est la réalisation éclatante d'un artiste qui a enfin trouvé son équilibre sur son fil de fer. C'est un 4 sur 5 qui ne se discute même pas. C’est un album courageux, riche, qui demande qu’on s’y investisse, qu’on accepte de se perdre dans ses arrangements touffus et ses envolées lyriques. Rufus Wainwright est un anachronisme vivant, un dandy égaré dans le XXIe siècle qui nous rappelle que la musique peut encore être une forme de folie furieuse et magnifique.

I don't listen to Wainwright much, but after listening to this album, I need to listen more often. I wasn't familiar with the album at all, but really enjoyed it. Not a bad song on the album in my opinion and I love his voice. Definitely one that I'm glad popped up to make me give it a listen.

Always a fun ride. Strange? Yes. But so easy to listen to…

A sensitive and orchestral album that creates dramatic moments. The final song with Antony was a surprise and highlight for me.

Quite surprised with this one. I liked the instrumentals quite a bit. The songwriting was also quite impressive. Favourite Track(s): The Art Teacher Least Favourite Track(s): Old Whore's Diet

For some reason I had the idea that Rufus Wainwright was a camp showtunes kind of musician, but this album wasn't like that at all. It took a couple of listens, as I wasn't sure what I felt the first time around, but I grew to enjoy this quite a bit.

Admittedly my wifi cut out and I didn't hear the last song on the album, but I was really impressed by this album. There was something very Thom Yorke-esque about his voice, but I might be making this up. It was just really interesting, I was really invested in the whole thing. Favorites: Agnus Dei, Peach Trees, Waiting for a Dream

Such a solid album. Loved the vocals with classical backing. Deserves repeated listens.

7/10

I did like it, a very soothing, calming album, beautiful voice, lovely piano. Listened to it twice. Loved the duet with Antony, too.

1: Hometown Waltz 2: Old Whore’s Diet 3: Gay Messiah

I only knew Rufus Wainwright as the guy who did the silly cover of Hallelujah in Shrek but I was blown away by his vocal talent here. I usually run screaming the other way when I see "chamber pop" but he nailed it, and one or two dull thuds near the end did not diminish my interest at all.

After hearing the first few notes, I was sure I would hate this, but I did not. Had some Radioheadesque feel to it.

This is just Radiohead. That is not an insult, it was just shocking how similar it sounded. These were some very cool styles of songs on here that I was getting down with. easy flowing music and vocals. Thought it was going to be a very weird album from the starting song, but it quickly took off to be very good. Old Whore's Diet was a sweet song to end on. This album really grabbed me as it went on and is landing firmly in a 4.

Solid

Here's an artist I know basically nothing about. I had only heard the name from the cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah" that they used in Shrek. A little melancholy at times, but listening to the folk, orchestral, almost cinematic vibes while eating breakfast and watching the sun rise was a nice experience. I may need to check out more of their work.

The songs were really well crafted in this album. Enjoyed listening all the way through, though it made me feel really sad. The mix of genres blended together really well.

Flanked by two eastern-tinged pillars of weird, the inner sanctum of Want Two is full of beauty. From the sophisti-pop of The One You Love to the baroque Little Sister, the stunning ballad The Art Teacher to the elegiac Memphis Skyline, the album is full of gems. Also, shout out to Gay Messiah, which overlays its beautiful music with hilarious biblical imagery

I enjoyed several numbers on this. More than the previous album

I like it. It's like a mix of piano and nice vocals. Found some faves on here!

This is like if Radiohead exclusively played folk pop and only released albums via Starbucks. I like it.

4.0 stars This was a really interesting album. Even with the music on in the background while I worked, his voice and lyrics consistently cut through...which says a lot. I’d need a few more focused listens to fully unpack what he’s saying, but what I caught felt thoughtful, artistic, and intentional. Sonically, this sits firmly in the singer-songwriter lane, but in a more elevated, almost orchestral way — music that feels designed for headphones and isolation rather than a casual listen. It comes across as reflective and human, like a quiet study of the human condition, and it’s absolutely going on my revisit list. This album also made me want to explore more of his catalog, which is always a good sign. Favorite tracks: Gay Messiah, Waiting for a Dream

I really like this Album, I think RW’s voice sounds a lot like Thom York, good songs, Walker Bros inspired arrangements. Really solid. 3.8

This is really good. Love his voice. Like a mix up of John Grant, Radiohead and at times Tom Waits. Such a diverse record too.

Absolutely loved the last track! I have been a Rufus Wainwright for years, but I never listened to this album enterily. Good listening!

Rate that he sang hallelujah but this didn’t move me much. Specific rating - 3.8 Fav song- the one you love Least fav - quand boys mourez de nos amours

horny, sexy, girthy, slutty, deeper than I expected

Omg als ob RUFUS Aber das erste schon besser

Hmh Rating: 7/10 Dann doch besser als erwartet

So you guys love Radiohead but hate this? Interesting. This gives me a weird blend, it gave me strokes and vibes of Steven Wilson, Dean Ween, Nick Drake, Stephin Merritt and Thom Yorke and many others, even LCD Soundsystem in terms of singing at points. Creatively it also was much like a river, constantly shifting and changing in the best of ways. I tend to love an album that is ambitious and tries a lot of different things and this is certainly no different. I'm not much bothered by a whiny voice or a negative/yearning disposition and if you aren't either I'd certainly give this a go especially if you like Radiohead, seriously if you like one and not the other you might be a hypocrite. If nothing else, listen to The One I Love, if the whole album were of this quality it'd be a five no question. Best songs: The One I Love Worst songs: N/A Rank compared to everything else so far: 23/57 (below The Black Saint And The Sinner Lady, above Franz Ferdinand)

Delightful. Emotional and enthralling

The medieval bard vibe is interesting but it grew on me. The singing in this album is majestic. Damn near every song had a part where I went Ooooooh.

I don't know how it feels to be so loud and wrong that I don't think this album is great. Especially comparing it to the absolute shit that is on this list. Discount Thom Yorke? maybe. But if it sounds like this i'll take it. Only critique is the medieval festival moments..why?

Surprisingly enjoyable, smooth voice

Beautiful. Haunting

That first song oh my lordddd

Great opener and not one I expected, hypnotic and massive sounding. Vocally a lot more Thom Yorke than I expected. I only had familiarity with a couple of Wainwright's songs previously (one of which, The Art Teacher is on this album, but stylistically quite different to the rest of it). Really enjoyed this on first listen, I'll be listening again.

so bardic ily gay messiah

I thought I was going to hate it but he’s pretty good. The guy from Geese clearly ripped him off

Nice piano. Are they gay/bi?!?! So cool

I don't know apparently this will get me drawn and quartered but I really like Rufus Wainwright. Yeah maybe he's pretentious but also there's something charming about his music.

Every song was surprisingly in some way. Very interesting

Päris unenäoline ja piisava krutskiga kuulamine, et mulle meeldiks. Läks kiiresti mööda ja mõtlen, et võiks uuesti. 4/5

Bien mais surement pas le meilleur

Knockoff Radiohead but in a good way. The stretched out vocals are definitely reminiscent of Thom Yorke, but I enjoyed the listen as a whole. There’s some lulls here and there but I wouldn’t call this album boring. Lots of variety in it. Nice little hidden gem.

interesting batch of songs

Absolute art/music wank. But considering I have Mike Oldfield and Enigma in my corner, no choice but to give it a 4!

Somehow missed this one. I ended up really enjoying this - he really sounds like Thom Yorke, and a random reddit page agrees.

Fantastic singer-songwriter compositions!

Another album I thought I had figured out but by the end I was thoroughly impressed. Its wide open folksy arrangments and use of classical music themes is well found in my mind. Vocal melodies are rich and robust that of a trained vocalist. And the songwriting is ACES. That hometown waltz song hits home with me in particular as in my life right now. So bonus points. Thanks roofy keep it real hopefully there is more of your work on this list.

Thom Yorke meets Beethoven

I think the highs are higher on Want Two when compared to Want One. But there are a couple of songs I’d have probably not included. 4.5/5

Oh I really enjoyed this. I'll always love Rufus Wainwright for blending gender lines and being such an unashamed soft man. I'll admit that some of the songs tested my patience a bit but some others were magical and transporting. I don't think I would call this a "must-listen," though -- it doesn't strike me as particularly influential or impactful, and it's certainly not for everyone. I really liked it, though, and I'm going to check out more of his material.

Not what I expected. Great voice, interesting songwriting. Almost Scott Walker ish.

Pretty solid album, great sounds and textures. Vocals sound a too much like Thom Yorke.

I’ve always love RWs voice and it is on display here

National pride aside, I quite liked this album. Nice production on an opera-adjacent piano pop album prescient of Jeremy Dutcher, whom I also love listening to. Sinner music with character that’s not stuck in any lane. 3.5

I may not always be in the mood to listen to this kind of music, but he’s a great singer.

Halfway through the second track I had many questions racing through my mind, "Is Thom Yorke just Rufus Wainwright from Wish?", "Is my distaste for yet another Canadian singer (the first being Joni Mitchell) going to be upended by this project?", "Should I have stayed and watched his show at FolkFest 2008 instead of going for a burrito?". Alas, a few songs later the melancholic pall descending almost Rufus-ifacated me beneath it's Wain-weight. I was glad I survived though as the last two songs are bangers. What a voice!

This is pretty good. I liked “Agnus Dei” and “The Art Teacher”

Good album!! There were several great songs!

4/5. This album has me feeling two things. The first is a great listening experience with a singer who feels as though they just found their own voice and holding each note as long as they can, really drawing out and feeling the words, as if they have been mute for years. The other feeling is that there are times I would rather listen to Radiohead. Rufus is very inspired by Thom Yorke on this record, especially the vocal cadences found in Kid A. This is a much different album, a lot more analog, and arguable very beautiful at times. There is a sense of unwavering confidence mixed with introspective shame throughout the album and I think the closing track allows the former to shine through with Antony. It's difficult to confirm how I feel about the album as a whole but I think it was a good listening experience, similar to how I felt about Want One. Best Song: The One You Love, This Love Affair, The Art Teacher, Little Sister

Oj vilken positiv överraskning! Riktigt fint. Passade min sinnesstämning väldigt bra.

Score a film to this

My long drought is over....I Have This Album (#5)!! An entire 90 albums have gone by since my last one, sheesh. Before listening, I gotta say, I love Rufus (and have seen him live 4 times, which for me is a lot of times), but of all his albums, I don't know why Want 1+2 get the bulk of the attention. I usually skip them because they're a bit snoozey and go for Poses, self-titled, or Release the Stars instead. When BBC Proms had him on for a concert last year (much to my delight!!) they disappointingly had him play the Wants back-to-back. And I thought, If Only This Were Poses. Since I pretty much never agree with the per-artist album picks of this thing, I guess I shouldn't be surprised. I bet people rate this low, though, and that makes me sad. Anyway, time for the ol' deep dive. 'Agnus Dei'?? Rufus, my bro, what is this. I guess it's a chance for me to ponder Latin morphology, but oh my (lamb of) god. No wonder I thought the album is a bit snoozey! Belt something else, king!!! (Beautiful strings though!) 'The One You Love' starts out more promisingly. Well, the lyrics aren't that great. But it's got good energy. Unfortunately the energy goes nowhere. It's all bridges! No chorus! I do like the do-do-do part. (As ever). 'Peach Trees' is a slog!! A downright slog!!! It's a good title, but it's boring, and being 6 minutes long doesn't help matters :( 'Little Sister' is a bit better, because the strings are nice and frankly the music sounds a little the Beatles's 'Piggies'. Also, lil sister Martha Wainwright is a cutie (and sings backing vocals on some of these tracks, not that it helps them much). Supposedly this is also inspired by Mozart's little sister, which I support. So this one's alright. I like the "ave"s. 'The Art Teacher' is one of the singles from this album, such as they are (it gets played in concert a lot, etc). It's OK - good energy, and good gender stuff (although personally I can't imagine ever having a crush on an art teacher, quite possible the most uncrushable field of teachers there is). Some good lines though. It can stay. Why is there clapping at the end!? I never noticed that before. 'Hometown Waltz' is kinda boring in an upbeat way. But it's short and has some French themes (musically), so I won't knock it any further. Despite having the extremely relatable line "I don't know what I'm doing", 'This Love Affair' is also boring!!!! It does have waltzing in it, so there's a nice connection to the last song which I never noticed before. But that is not enough to keep my interest!! 'Gay Messiah' is an actually good song. Hallelujah. It has a hook! It's unique!! It's about gay stuff, but that's not why I like it, although it doesn't hurt. 'Memphis Skyline' is a real letdown. I am sad to report it is not in my top 3 Memphis songs. Nothing is happening here; it is slow and it is sad. Beautiful piano though. Possibly the rare album where I prefer the instrumental breaks (even though I do like Rufie's voice). 'Waiting for a Dream' has got a weird echo-y vocal effect which I don't like at all. What I do like is the line "Yesterday I heard they cloned a baby / Now can I finally sleep with me?" which I would laugh at regardless of who sang it (feels like it'd fit in with some of that 80s new wave eclectica we had earlier). I guess I appreciate that musically something a little different is happening here, but this is also a snoozer in the end. 'Crumb by Crumb' is mildly more energetic. Vorp vorp vorp. Decent. Does 'Old Whore's Diet' count as a a slur? Hm. I suppose it does. That's a demerit! But the real demerit is that this song is NINE minutes long. Certainly not getting anyone going in the morning -- wait, what's this, Anohni from Anohni and the Johnsons, who is apparently going by Anohni now???? OK, that revelation did in fact hold my interest for about four minutes. The song does develop a good energy, but I still think we could cut it in half, surely. The bonus tracks aren't on Spotify, which is too bad because they're better than most of the actual tracks. Chelsea Hotel is great. In With the Ladies is great. Frankly every cover Rufus does is great. But I can't reeeeally rate this album a 5, I think, given how much I complained about it (even though I Want 2). It's just not a top album, even if it is by a top artist. Certainly I'd rather listen to it than 95% of the albums on this list so far, though!! Highlight: 'Gay Messiah'! Lowlights: 'Agnus Dei', 'Peach Trees', 'Memphis Skyline' Things Rufus Loves to Sing About: Religion, Gardens, His family, Gay stuff, Cities

Soothing. Gorgeous voice. Nice one for an early morning meditation.

“The One You Love” is an amazing song… would be a 5/5 if the songs after lived up to it

Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Agnus Dei, Waiting For A Dream, Old Whore's Diet Major Radiohead vibes. If you had told me that Thom Yorke was singing Peach Trees on this album, I would believe you. Sometimes applicable for other songs also. An interesting arrangement of music on a bunch of personal topics: affairs, first loves, one's hometown, homosexuality, a song sung from the perspective of a female (which reminds me of White Town's Your Woman). All of this is done in multiple genre's: what sounds like show tunes, middle eastern or Asian influences on Agnus Dei, whatever the hell is going on in Old Whore's Diet. This is certainly original, off the beaten path uniquely interesting stuff. I am glad it was included on the List.

Альбом слухав вперше та й ніколи не чув нічого за Руфуса. Цікавий сінгер-сонграйтер альбом з клавішною основою. Вокал місцями, особливо коли вокаліст щось тягне, - вилитий Том Йорк. Тексти такі саркастичні та торкаються сексуальності. Роздумував може поставити 5, але Old Whore’s Diet якоси вибивається занадто з настрою.

- voz poderosa, que lembra opera - alguns momentos são bem marcantes - eu gostei que leva mais pro lado da performance do que pro lado conceitual

my second love…

Pre-listening thoughts: I'm slacking YES I KNOW i'm SORRY god forbid a girl settles into her routine. Anyways I have found my best window for listening to an album is before class. I will for sure have to listen after class too, but I'm squeezing in a quick Rufus Wainwright treat before I go make a million loaves of sourdough today. Post/during listening thoughts: I am just not sure Rufus Wainwright can do any wrong. I love this man. In a lesbian loves a gay man kinda way. The culmination of Agnus Dei had me suspicious at first as to whether it would end up sounding good, but I learned my lesson quickly for doubting Rufus. I just think his harmony stacking is so beautiful. It always feels so familiar and friendly to listen to him. But as soon as that feeling envelopes you, then there's a sucker punch of sad lyrics. I love his lyricism. Anyways, this is a great successor to Want One. I don't quite like it AS much on first listen, so I'm glad we got Want One first, but I still just cannot dislike anything this man makes. 8.5/10 DID I NEED TO HEAR THIS BEFORE I DIE: lowkey yes for Want One AND Two but maybe not this one by itself if that makes sense. Also everyone please go listen to Poses. That is a PHENOMENAL album. Especially if you like his more upbeat stuff. Fav tracks: The One You Love, The Art Teacher (my god.), Gay Messiah, Waiting for a Dream Least fav tracks: I didn't love the beginning of Agnus Dei

Poses is the superior album, of course, but Want One and Want Two together are awesome additions to the Rufus discography.

I honestly didn't know about Rufus Wainwright, and I made the mistake (one that I never do), to read some reviews before even listening to the album. I don't know why, but there's a lot of complaining in these reviews about his voice being "whining" and the album being "boring". I thought it was beautiful at times, cute and fun at others. Although it's not the best album ever, it did feel unique and worth the listen.

Amazing songwriting. But his vocals start to get tiresome.

I wasn’t familiar with this album. Really glad I got to listen to it. It is reminiscent of Radiohead.

Rufus does sound just a bit whiny from time to time but overall a pretty enjoyable album.

Kinda similar to radiohead

A surprisingly good record that only suffers from vocals that hold long loud notes a bit too long.

I don't quite know what to make of this album. It is growing on me I think. I feels like listening to a Radiohead album which is not such a bad thing. I think part of the reason I struggled with this album is because it is such a diverse sounding album. I'm a little surprised at how much I ended up liking this one.

His previous album was already on this list fairly recently! I enjoyed and would like to relisten. Some tracks really remind me of ?Elbow I think - something about his vocals and the vibe. ?Anohni Johnson, ?Muse, idk, agh, I can't place it.

Good discovery ! I'll listen to more of him

I love Rufus wainwright’s creativity and the classical nature of some of his pop music

Beautiful vocals and instrumentals, I could listen to him all day! Some of the songs drone on a little or are a little one-dimensional, but overall very enjoyable.

Very enjoyable album, one of my favourites so far

what if thom yorke was really gay

Strong, but long and needs more listens

The music itself is pretty good but HOT DAYM these lyrics are pure ASS. They’re like the kind of thing you come up with in the shower and then never think about ever again. However, there are some pretty nice chord progressions and the instrumentation is lovely so I’ll bump it up

Pretty cool album, I wasn’t really in to it when it came out but it has a real depth to it, both lyrically and musically.

Uniquely different, I liked the variety

some songs on this were beautiful, very good album, art teacher was amazing

Through this challenge, I discovered that I really enjoy Rufus Wainwright’s music—and Want Two is a fantastic album. He’s an incredibly talented artist from a famously gifted family, and it shows in this record. The music throughout the album is beautifully composed, with melodies that are both tight and catchy. Favourite song: The One You Love stands out as a brilliant track. It’s got a great blend of music and lyrics—memorable, emotional, and easy to keep playing on repeat. Least favourite: Some of the slower songs in the middle didn’t quite resonate with me—Memphis Skyline, for example, felt a bit too subdued. But overall, the album was a very enjoyable listen. Album artwork: Edgy and cool—perfectly suited to the tone of the music.

Wild first song but im a sucker for foreign chanting. Good vibes, relaxing to listen too.

this sounds like background music to an episode of ninjago. He kinda sounds like will toledo, this is actually really interesting, like its fine but im interested moreso in how this progresses and seeing if it becomes smth better then this then how to rank it on a numerical scale 1-10. Actually, wait this is really good, that string instrement ad his vocals, this'll be a good time if it progresses this way. im sorry fuck you mean they change genres for the second track to an art pop song, and its better then the one before it?? why does that keep happening its happened twice in the past two songs. I got really distracted, but oh my god he sounds like thom yorke, in fact a lot of this sounds like radiohead, even down to the part where radiohead (like a lot of things i like) makes me incredibly tired, i read one of the comments and this is jus gay thom yorke. Its very pretty (pretty enough to lie to one could say). Overall i liked it i can't really say i could come up with a numeriacal score, though thats kinda a compliment because i feel like paying attention to the artsyness is not smth i do that often because theres a little guy in my head like yeah this is a 4.5 and i think thats detracting from my music listening experience in some ways.

I enjoyed!

This is an album I am quite familiar with but had not listened to in years. I think he has a love it or hate voice and delivery and I love it.

Enjoyed this more than Want One, even though it is a bit long. I don't always enjoy Wainwright's cabaret style singing, but when it's good it's great - Especially on The Art Teacher, Gay Messiah, and Waiting For a Dream. Also really liked the duet with Antony Hegarty (AHNONI?)

Agnus Dei is awesome, I stopped what I was doing at the midpoint to take in what I was hearing. This is the high water mark of the album, its unique and cool, nothing else comes close to it. Ah heck, back to normal songs, damn it, The One You Love is pretty good. The vocals on Little Sister was giving Bublé, not sure if it’s a Canadian thing, I will investigate further. Wicked bass on Waiting for a Dream, great production and strings too sounded like a recent Radiohead track (which I’m generally quite fond of) Crumb by Crumb was fun by fun. Enjoyed it quite a bit Old Whore’s Diet was a sharp change of gears. Not bad to start, but lingered far too long Rufus vocals are consistently enjoyable throughout the album. Any orchestral buts in this album I liked a lot Favourites Agnus Dei, Waiting for a Dream, The One You Love

Pretty good!

## In-Depth Review: *Want Two* by Rufus Wainwright Rufus Wainwright’s *Want Two* (2004) stands as a bold, theatrical, and deeply ambitious work, serving as both a companion and a counterpoint to its predecessor, *Want One*. Where *Want One* was intensely personal, *Want Two* broadens its gaze, delving into themes of society, identity, loss, and longing, all while maintaining Wainwright’s signature blend of lush orchestration, biting wit, and raw vulnerability. This review will explore the album’s lyrics, music, production, themes, and influence, and conclude with a clear assessment of its strengths and weaknesses. --- ## Lyrics **Lyrical Range and Complexity** Wainwright’s lyrical approach on *Want Two* is notably diverse, oscillating between poetic storytelling, caustic humor, and unguarded confession. The album’s lyrics are often more blunt and literal than his earlier work, yet retain a poetic sensibility that rewards close listening[2]. Songs like “The Art Teacher” exemplify his narrative prowess, telling the story of a married woman’s lingering infatuation with a childhood teacher—a tale rendered with empathy and subtlety[3][4]. The song’s perspective play and emotional ambiguity are quintessential Wainwright, blurring lines between autobiography and fiction. “Gay Messiah” is perhaps the album’s most provocative lyric, blending religious imagery with queer identity in a manner that is both irreverent and deeply personal. Lines like “Better pray for your sins” are delivered with a wry, knowing humor, but also hint at deeper existential anxieties and social commentary[4]. The track’s explicitness and audacity serve as both a challenge and an invitation to the listener. Other highlights include “Peach Trees,” a romantic ballad suffused with longing, and “Memphis Skyline,” a moving tribute to Jeff Buckley, which balances personal grief with universal themes of loss[1]. Throughout, Wainwright’s lyrics are marked by their emotional directness, literary allusions, and willingness to confront taboo subjects. **Strengths:** - Rich narrative detail and emotional honesty - Clever, layered wordplay and allusion - Willingness to tackle complex and controversial topics **Weaknesses:** - At times, the bluntness can feel heavy-handed compared to his earlier, more evocative work[2] - Some lyrics may alienate listeners unaccustomed to Wainwright’s theatricality or explicitness --- ## Music **Stylistic Breadth and Arrangements** Musically, *Want Two* is a kaleidoscope of genres and influences. The album traverses folk, pop, chanson, baroque, indie, and show music, often within a single track[1][5]. Wainwright’s “old world sensibility” is evident in the artful, often gorgeous arrangements, which feature everything from lush string sections to delicate piano lines. “Agnus Dei,” the album’s opener, is steeped in classical influence, setting a somber, almost liturgical tone with its choral arrangements and orchestral sweep[3]. “The One You Love” and “Peach Trees” showcase his knack for sophisticated pop, while “The Art Teacher” relies on a minimalist, “gently bubbling piano line” that foregrounds the lyrics[3]. “Hometown Waltz” incorporates folk elements and features contributions from Wainwright’s mother and aunt, grounding the album in personal history[1]. The album’s musical ambition is both its greatest asset and, at times, its Achilles’ heel. The arrangements are often sumptuous and grandiose, bordering on overproduction, yet they rarely feel gratuitous. Instead, they serve to amplify the album’s emotional stakes and thematic complexity. **Strengths:** - Inventive, genre-blurring arrangements - Masterful orchestration and use of classical motifs - Wainwright’s vocals: expressive, theatrical, and technically impressive **Weaknesses:** - Some tracks risk being “overproduced,” potentially overwhelming the songwriting[1] - The stylistic variety may come at the expense of cohesion, leading to a sense of unpredictability that some listeners find disorienting --- ## Production **Sonic Palette and Atmosphere** Produced with a meticulous attention to detail, *Want Two* is unashamedly “music as art”[5]. The album’s soundscape is rich and layered, with each instrument and vocal harmony carefully placed to create a sense of grandeur and intimacy in equal measure. References to Ravel’s “Bolero,” Catholic hymns, and French cabaret are woven seamlessly into the fabric of the album, lending it a dark, sensual, and dramatic quality not often found in contemporary pop[5]. The production, while lush, never loses sight of Wainwright’s voice, which remains the album’s emotional and sonic anchor. Whether soaring above an orchestra or whispering over a lone piano, his vocals are captured with clarity and warmth. **Strengths:** - Lush, detailed production that enhances the album’s theatricality - Effective balance between grandeur and intimacy - Creative integration of diverse musical references **Weaknesses:** - Occasional lapses into excess, with some tracks feeling weighed down by their own ambition[1] - The album’s polish may distance it from the rawness of earlier Wainwright releases --- ## Themes **Identity, Longing, and Social Commentary** At its core, *Want Two* is an album about desire—romantic, spiritual, and existential. Wainwright explores the complexities of love and loss (“This Love Affair,” “Peach Trees”), the search for meaning in a chaotic world (“Agnus Dei,” “Crumb by Crumb”), and the tensions of queer identity in a heteronormative society (“Gay Messiah”)[1][4][5]. The album is also deeply reflective, with several tracks meditating on the passage of time and the persistence of memory. “The Art Teacher” and “Memphis Skyline” both grapple with the ways in which the past continues to shape the present, while “Hometown Waltz” contemplates the inevitability of returning home, both literally and metaphorically. Wainwright’s use of religious and mythological imagery—most notably on “Gay Messiah” and “Agnus Dei”—serves to elevate personal experience to the level of the universal, inviting listeners to consider the broader implications of his stories. **Strengths:** - Nuanced exploration of identity, desire, and memory - Effective use of religious and cultural symbolism - Willingness to confront difficult or taboo subjects **Weaknesses:** - The album’s thematic density may feel overwhelming or inaccessible to some listeners - Occasional lapses into self-indulgence or melodrama --- ## Influence **Artistic Legacy and Impact** *Want Two* occupies a unique place in Wainwright’s discography and in the broader landscape of 2000s singer-songwriter albums. Its ambition, theatricality, and unapologetic embrace of queer identity have influenced a new generation of artists unafraid to blend genres and challenge conventions[1][5]. The album’s “Wildean decadence, Romantic self-awareness and pre-Raphaelite languor” set it apart from the more formulaic releases of its era, establishing Wainwright as a singular voice in pop music[5]. While *Want Two* may not have achieved the same level of commercial success as some of Wainwright’s peers, its artistic daring and emotional honesty have earned it a devoted following and critical acclaim. Tracks like “The Art Teacher” and “Memphis Skyline” are frequently cited as highlights of his career, and the album as a whole is recognized for its contribution to the evolution of queer representation in popular music[1][3][5]. --- ## Pros and Cons | Pros | Cons | |---------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | Lyrically rich and emotionally honest | Occasional overproduction | | Inventive, genre-blurring musical arrangements | Thematic and stylistic density may overwhelm some listeners | | Masterful orchestration and vocal performances | Lacks the intimacy of earlier Wainwright albums | | Willingness to tackle complex, controversial, and taboo subjects | Some tracks feel self-indulgent or melodramatic | | Effective use of literary, religious, and cultural allusions | Inconsistent cohesion due to stylistic variety | | Significant influence on queer representation in pop music | Some listeners find the album less immediate or accessible | --- ## Conclusion *Want Two* is a daring, theatrical, and deeply rewarding album that cements Rufus Wainwright’s reputation as one of the most ambitious and distinctive singer-songwriters of his generation. Its strengths lie in its lyrical depth, musical inventiveness, and willingness to push boundaries—both artistic and social. While its ambition occasionally tips into excess, and its density may not appeal to all listeners, *Want Two* remains a testament to Wainwright’s vision and artistry. For those willing to engage with its complexities, it offers a rich, moving, and unforgettable listening experience.

Like many have said this album has a lot of Radiohead vibes which for me is not a bad thing. I have a couple of previous RW releases on CD bought because I like his vocal style. This album is completely different to those. So was not expecting what this album actually offered. RW was obviously trying to produce an album of new ideas and sounds which I think he largely achieved. 4/5 1/6/25

Love this, and most everything by Rufus.

That was awesome. Genuinely surprised the lead singer wasn’t the guy from Muse, but definitely vocally similar to him/Thom Yorke

It was good. Almost sounded like early Radiohead Thom Yorke.

So much good music in here and you just know it's going to grow on you.

Good music very esoteric

Beautiful album. The Art Teacher was my favourite song.

I really liked this album from the guy that I thought sang the best version of Hallelujah for a minute before I found out it was actually John Cale on Shrek

I liked this rather a lot. Pretty close to a five star album. His voice seems to annoy folks here, but I liked it, for the most part (there was one song where his audible inhales were a little annoying). Waiting for a Dream reminded me of Elbow.

recognized his name because he’s collabed with carly rae jepsen. respect. i also liked this!

Really nice album.

i like this one

I've had want one for years, can't believe I never got around to this. Lovely.

I don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this. Quite a breath of fresh air

Compared to his other entry on this list, "Want One", I could almost copy and paste my review for that album and put it down here. Still very heartfelt, I still enjoy listening more than I think I will, still pleasantly surprised, still simple, yet entirely complex, still a great album start to finish, if not, a little repetitive. Main difference to me are the opener and closers. They stand apart from the rest of the album (as well as the previous album) as being freeingly experimental. I enjoyed that a lot, but for the rest of the tracks, not as good on the whole as Want One. Otherwise, hurrah. 4/5

My wife’s a big Rufus Wainwright fan but I’d not heard any of his stuff save for a handful of songs and his cover of Hallelujah from the Shrek soundtrack. This was a superb album, so many beautifully miserable ballads. Standouts were The Art Teacher and Old Whore’s Diet, as well as the couple of live tracks sung in French.

A tantalizing recording

Nice

Очень прикольно

Rufus Wainwright is great

This was unexpected and pretty awesome. Reminded me of Vampire Weekend in a good way. Will definitely be returning to this.

Wainwright called this album the darker sibling of "Want One" and that's pretty accurate. In my review of that album, I compared it Sufjan Stevens, who has his share of dark songs, but they're usually disguised as fairly upbeat numbers. Maybe this one is somewhere in between that and Leonard Cohen, though it doesn't quite match. At any rate, it's not a bad album and one that I might return to. The appearance by Anohni was a nice surprise.

We listened to "Want One" very recently. He is once again immediately reminding me of Andrew Bird with the string instruments being played unusually. "The One You Love" is another Andrew Bird ass song. They were releasing music right at the same time, I wonder if they hung out. This song is really good. "Little Sister" has great strings and a fun pacing. I feel a little like it's a big orchestral disney number. This could be in a musical or an animated movie. "Hometown Waltz" also has great vocals and backing instrumental. Rufus has a very full sound, so many instruments and big swells. "Waiting For A Dream" has a fun bass heavy backing. The backing vocalists on "Crumb by Crumb" sound really nice. This man is plucking his violin strings. I know what that sounds like Rufus. 8/10

Pretty big fan of Rufus and the whole Wainwright family. Used to listen to Poses a lot back in the day, but don't I ever listened to this one all the way through. And I think it might be my favorite by him. Sounds more like a cohesive album than some of his other records

Never listened to this Canadian all that much but there's a nice lil ridiculosity to his lyrics and man does he sound like a happy Thom Yorke or what? Go pick some tulips Rufus come back and tell us about your tulips

Gay Radiohead somehow escaped my notice but I actually really like this. I'm not sure it belongs on The List but I dig it a lot.

8/10. This is a really majestic album. I felt Thom Yorke vibes coming from this album, for some reason.

Peach Trees sounds like a Radiohead song. A lot of this sounds like Radiohead tbh. I like the less theatrical bits generally. Fave Tracks: Agnus Dei, The One You Love, Peach Trees, Old Whore's Diet 3.5/5

i really liked it. i didn’t finish my review but the albums done so im just writing this here before it boots me out. great album for shaz. also shoutout to the album cover because it’s easily the prettiest we had like i love the aesthetic stand-out songs: the one you love, peach trees🥇, the art teacher, gay messiah, crumb by crumb

⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 3[.8] of 5 stars. This one was really interesting in my opinion. Definitely not an easy listen, and it's one that I'm definitely going to need to go back on. But this review is mainly just my first impression. It's very classical-inspired and I really like the wide range of instruments throughout, it's another really unique-sounding album in my opinion. I really liked the dissonance between the voice and instruments in "The One You Love," the really whack instrument arrangements of the opener, and the constant build-up of the last track. Favourites: Memphis Skyline, Peach Trees⭐, The One You Love.

I LIKE THIS ALBUM A LOT 🔥🔥🔥🔥 4.6/5

A long the since I've heard this album. Wainwright has a beautiful melliferous voice and his music has it's very own inimitable style. This would be a good album to check out if you're new to Rufus Wainwright. 4/5

Moody, not quite dark and beautiful. Love the ways he builds up some of these songs until the crescendo. Wonderful arrangements, many different instruments. Rufus has a great voice as well…lowkey jealous. Gay Messiah, I really loved that. Also love that he comes back to earth through heaven at studio 54. Great. Memphis Skyline is super sad and haunting, read somewhere that it’s about Jeff Buckley? Guess it makes sense why it’s sad. I love the piano bridge in it, wow. I think the highlight of the album for me is Hometown Waltz, but maybe that’s because my mum grew up outside Montreal.

More Wainwright bangers. I think I liked this slightly less than Want One, but still really good. 3.5/5

An enjoyable album of different styles

Agnus Dei // The One You Love // Peach Trees // The Art Teacher // Gay Messiah //

This one really surprised me. After listening to the album I went and looked at some of the reviews left by others on this site and I was frankly shocked. There are so many people who are just ready to pounce on anything remotely artsy / flamboyant. Stop wasting your life hating. Especially something as lovely as music. So as I already mentioned, I was truly taken aback by this one. I absolutely did not expect the lush, beautifully layered, and frankly beautiful set of tunes. It is without a doubt supremely top-heavy. The first half of the album tears the second apart, but the whole thing is worth a listen. 4.2/5

Lush, pretty, lasting, not quite as good as want one

Beautiful songs and amazing vocal, just simple and enjoyable...I love to listen to this type of music once in a while. 3.5-4/5

Relaxing

Interesting and very different from what I typically listen to. I really enjoy Rufus' voice. He reminds me of Tom York and/or Matt Bellamy from Muse. The lyrics are engaging and the soundscapes created are beautiful. I'd say it was way better then I expected.

8/10

Rufus Wainwright's "Want Two" is a rich tapestry of sound and emotion, showcasing his impressive vocal range and intricate songwriting. This album, released in 2004, is a continuation of the thematic explorations found in its predecessor, "Want One." Wainwright blends elements of pop, classical, and theatrical music, creating a unique listening experience that resonates with both intimacy and grandeur. Standout tracks like "Waiting for a Dream" highlight his ability to merge poignant lyrics with lush orchestration, inviting listeners into his world of heartache and longing. Moreover, "Want Two" is marked by a sense of vulnerability and introspection, as Wainwright delves into personal struggles and emotional complexities. Songs like "Go Or Go Ahead" exude a sense of urgency and yearning, capturing the essence of his lyrical prowess. The album's arrangement features a mesmerizing combination of piano, strings, and soft percussion, which perfectly complements Wainwright's sophisticated vocal delivery. Overall, "Want Two" solidifies Rufus Wainwright's status as a formidable artist, blending his classical influences with modern sensibilities and crafting a timeless, poignant musical journey.

An interesting album, was good as background music. I liked the songs The Art Teacher and Old Whore's Diet

Beautiful record. Well recorded.

I had never heard of Rufus Wainwright before. As a fan of Shrek, I was of course familiar with the song Hallelujah. The cover of the album reminded me of a funny book about pre-Rafaelite girls explaining the internet. However, this rather lowered my expectations. I found the first track a bit difficult. But I quite liked the second one. I wasn't sure whether I would listen to the whole album. But suddenly it was over. It was fun and sparked my interest in more music by Rufus Wainwright. That's exactly what this project is for. Great. 4/5

This is my first time listening to a full album from Rufus. My impression is that he’s fantastic. A true character. I loved his work. Great finding!

Want one took me by surprise. This one doubled down. Lots of muse/Radiohead sounds in this.

Male Sia (annoying voice) but the chord progressions and melodies are interesting

Hoy toca en este reto un artista que desconozco totalmente. Veo en la review que en una de las canciones del álbum canta Anohni, así que eso me da una mejor idea de lo que puede llegar a ser éste disco. Sonidos etéreos, muy trabajados, con una voz que me recuerda a Thom Yorke. Disco relajado, muy fino. Se agradece la novedad.

For all the people that said this is a worse version of Radiohead, I beg to differ. Lyrics were reflective, songs could be jarring, but the instrumentation really drew me in. It was one that made me stop and think, especially from the first song. That one forced me to stop what I was doing and listen. I'll be back to this one with more focus for sure.

Didn't realise he was canadian

No one sounds like Rufus Wainwright. I see the evolution to this point, and it's definitely a continuation of Want One, but, while it's lovely, I don't really see it as the essential representation of his work. At least not over WO.

lindo descubrimiento

che muy bueno, no le pongo un cinco porque no me ENCANTÓ pero me gustó bastante. Cositas beatles también.

Pretty good

Rufus Wainwright makes theatrical pop - dramatically orchestrated pieces that wander towards opera. His songs are beautiful, lush, rich pieces, with a narrative sense of songs from musical theater. Want Two is his fourth studio album, which was well received critically. Wainwright makes lovely songs, with engaging stories and interesting arrangements. His music isn't of a particular era - it seems to be something of a throwback - but it certainly isn't typical of pop of the aughts.

I don’t love Rufus but gotta say this is pretty unique and powerful. I can see how his voice could easily annoy, but it works for me. I’d like to find the time to find out more.

4/5

Although I can see how people might not like this album, I really enjoyed it. It is not without flaw, however, it was entertaining and unique. It reminded me of Radiohead.

This one surprised me!

Liked this, bonus track shite tho

Amazing vocals, like Freddie Mercury without the grit but all of the control and emotion. Eclectic mix of instruments. Will give this album and artist a spin in the future for sure.

Now this is something interesting. A particularly stark contrast having just finished listening to the mostly brainless disco yacht rock bore that was the Isley Brothers’ 3+3. This album, on the other hand, commands a listen. The opening track is particularly grabbing. At times, this was a bit too meandering and morose for my tastes, but I was interested the whole time and kept looking forward to what might come next. Wonderfully weird with plenty of unexpected but delightful twists and turns. Reminds me a lot of Radiohead, which is never a bad thing in my book. 4/5 Highlights: Agnus Dei Memphis Skyline Waiting for a Dream Old Whore’s Diet

I've never heard of Rufus Wainwright before and this was really good. He seems like a real musician's musician. The music in itself probably ages like wine and gets better after a few listens. Would take a while to really dig deep into this guy. And this is why I both love and hate this idea of the generator. I get to listen to this for the first time. But it doesn't come to me organically, so I won't put as much time as I think I need to into discovering the rest of the artist's discography, as I would normally.

I hope there are other albums of his on this list because this is not even close to his best. His self titled debut is so much better and more cohesive. The first part of the album hits you over the head with baroque pop, which I like. I am aware however that it is not a lot of people’s cup of tea. Plus, for songs like “Little Sister” he goes REALLY hard on the classical music angle. His tone of voice can sound a little weird with these songs too because they incorporate so many classical themes. Once Gay Messiah hits it’s a completely different album to an almost jarring extent. Still giving it 4 stars because his other work is so fun and good. Not sure why people were comparing this to Radiohead and Thom Yorke. Beyond a similarity in vocal tone, this is so different.

Woah, this album was beautiful, 'Old Whore's Diet' and all!

Unabashedly artsy and romantic in a turtle-neck (and Montreal) kinda way. The drama behind Rufus' vocals and anecdotes is only elevated by the baroque sound this album boasts and wears on its sleeve. This sound (surprisingly) doesn't wear out its welcome throughout this album's 50+ minute runtime - probably due to its ever-changing nature, still maintaining a level of potency throughout varying stages of intensity. The opener 'Agnus Del' has an almost Middle Eastern tinge, while a song like 'This Love Affair' perfectly intertwines these weighty vocals with dramatic hits of piano and string. It continues surprising 'till the very interesting switch-up on the closing track 'Old Whore's Diet'. 'Gay Messiah' goes in a more interesting conceptual direction, though it's backed by more a generic acoustic strumming piece of instrumentation - one that's still very pleasant. Beautiful and elegant stuff and a glorious introduction to an artist I've previously never heard of. If you're a fan of shimmering love ballads that sound like they harness the weight of the cosmos to fuel their gleam, many of the songs off this album will surely click.

Great album

Mix between thom Yorke and Michael Bublé. Overall wasn't that fussed, definitely nice vocals and all but repeated itself until it got french. Similar to nick drake and my lack of praise for him. However, the song peach trees (and to a lesser extent art teacher) was absolutely excellent and brings this up to a 3.78.

Definitely a unique album. Not quite pop, not really rock or alternative rock, at least not what was popular at the time. I'm sure this album was quite provocative in the era it came out, I bet it has aged decently as well. To me, the music was consistently interesting and I liked it quite a bit. My favorites being The One You Love, Hometown Waltz, and Old Whore's Diet.

Thom Yorke? Is that you? Other than the fact I cannot distinguish a word from Mr. Wainwright's whining, the album was surprisingly pleasant despite having a 2.9 star rating. "Want To" offers a grand assortment of genres - every song had something new for you, and the album was quite exquisite overall. Favourites include "The One You Love" and "The Art Teacher."

7.5/10

A name I've only known because of Shrek. But this guy has a good voice though. It's going right up my valley.

Rufus still has one of the best voices I’ve discovered on this list and while the last album of his might have had better instruments to complement that voice, this one was still a pleasure to listen to on the vocals and lyrics alone. Peach trees was my fav.

This was an experience to listen to, I totally get people not digging it, it's like a slightly whineyer radiohead, but I dug it alot. I'm interested enough to listen again and when it finished I found myself carrying on with the rest of his discography

I keep oscillating between loving and being annoyed by Rufus Wainwright singing. I think today I leaned more toward liking. My enjoyment of few artists is as sensitive to my mood as with him. It's a sound that effects, just not always in a good way.

7/10. Not completely my thing -- but I found it impressive. Each song was put together nicely and fairly unique and his voice is great.

Beautiful queer album. The Art Teacher might be the highlight for me.

Nice vibe

p900. 2004. 4 stars. This is what you get if you splice the DNA of Scott Walker and Thom Yorke. Great voice, sharp lyrics with a dark sense of humour, and you have to admire the sheer variety of styles handled on the album. All that's missing are standout tracks.

The first song really pulled me in. Very dark, artistic vibes on this album. There were some moments where it was a little too slow for me but overall I enjoyed it.

Interesting tunes that answer the question: "What would Billy Joel sound like if he was from Montreal instead of Long Island (and was gay)."

"The One You Love" is quite nice.

Love his big gay angel voice

Sykt chill, litt deprimerende

4.0

Rufus Wainwright is so unbelievably talented. So many different styles bubble up in his songs, and that voice floats across the top. Amazing! Love the creativity. Each song is a work of art. Just so easy to get lost in his music! Why a 4/5 you ask? Sounds like I think it’s a 5/5, right? A couple tracks toward the middle of the album were a little more bare and didn’t pull me in. Thought they were kind of average tunes. But the rest of the album was excellent.

This is awesome! I've always recognized the name but never the music until now. It's like a fusion of Radiohead and Vampire Weekend. What's not to love? The orchestrations are intricate, the themes are dark, and the piano melodies are beautiful. AND he's Canadian?? HELL ya. If he could keep the high points of this record (which there ARE many) this would straight up be a 5. A 4.5 for now... but definitely revisiting!

Hmmm...perhaps the bar was set too high from the previous experience? It wasn't bad, but not fabulous.

Doesn't quite have the oomph of Want One but still a fine album.

This was a worth successor to Want One, and I did like it although not quite as much. As I expected there were some very interesting tales from a variety of perspectives on this LP.

Day127 - not something i would listen to everyday but it really is a beautiful album

Very good chill summer album

Album art, great. My only experience with the artist is from the film Tommy Tricker and the Stamp Traveller when he was 14. The production is so clean and crisp. The musicianship is so good at conveying emotion. Might revisit in the future.

Luscious and ravishing and outstanding effort by a unique and significant talent. The sequence from the haunting opener to pleasingly poppy "One You Love" is jarring in the best possible way. "Little Sister" is terrific. "Memphis Skyline" pure loveliness and "Old Whore's Diet" is brilliant. Hard to say which is better Want One or Want Two. One wants to say RW is "the gay Ryan Adams" in terms of sheer talent and output, but perhaps one means "RA is the straight Rufus Wainwright." The strings work exceedingly well and the prevalence of controlled mid-tempo cuts and the (very slight) sense of restraint is a nice contrast to the full-on edge of Want One. Whichever one prefers (and it might be a matter of whichever one one heard first or listened to last), both of these records hold up exceedingly well 20 years on and one expects to continue listening to them many years hence.

I enjoyed this, though it's not the sort of thing I would usually listening. The first song was like an Arabic keening that morphed into stage musical crooning. His voice sounds exactly like OK Computer Thom Yorke! Not the falsetto stuff but that mid-range. Like a lounge Radiohead then? I'm interested to explore more of his stuff.

Album #750, and 1st Rufus (except that time he sang with Antony & the Johnsons-- oh look, here she comes now, with a very long track) Rufus Wainwright’s voice is like Thom Yorke’s, in that a) it’s beautiful and b) idk wot they’re singing half the time without a lyric sheet. It’s like they’re singing backwards. This is a pretty rich album; a lot to take in. It’s hardly the first on this list to indulge in classical flourishes, but “Agnus Dei” & “Little Sister” provided some welcome orchestra. If you choose the Canadian Version (which I’m obliged by CanCon law to listen to), you get two French chansons that provide a denouement to “Old Whore’s Diet”. I have no idea why it’s 9 minutes long, but it has a soaring finale that provides a dramatic end to the (main) album. I understand this is the one that Dimery kept in later editions (Want One is cut), but if the other is anything like this one I’m looking forward to it. HL: “Art Teacher”, “Hometown Waltz”, “Agnus Dei”, “Memphis Skyline”, “Peach Trees”

This was nice

Beautiful voice, can see the opera influence. 3.5

Have never listened to Rufus Wainwright before, so we'll see how this goes. ...I liked that. The first song makes an impression for sure, then it spirals off into a bunch of different genres that I would probably throw under the large umbrella(s) of art/chamber/indie pop. I can certainly hear all the comparison to Thom Yorke for his vocals. Feels like a solid 4 with some room to grow. Will probably come back around to this when I get Want One lol.

This is in the running for 'Most Pretentious Album' I have ever heard. It's baroque, it has Latin singing, it's backed by old money, biblical references, its got it all. My only real complaint, however, is that the microphone peaks on almost every song. How does Rufus come from old money, yet his microphone sounds like that will remain a great mystery in my life. If you are into Picaresque, then you will probably also like this one. It has a lot of similar qualities, as well as having the most Thom Yorke voice I've ever heard that wasn't Thom Yorke. I would have probably rated this a 5 if it wasn't for the terrible microphone used to record this. Highlights: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 12.

Haven't listened to much of his stuff and I'm pretty pleased with this album. Very well written and good melodies. Not a huge fan of his vocals, but am impressed with the album as a whole.

I'm a fan of Rufus Wainwright, and his sister Martha. Good stuff all the way around and a listen is worth your time.

3.5 but interesting enough that I want to listen to it again, appreciate the difference from what I feel like I am used to. Reminds me a bit of Father John Misty.

Enjoyable, interesting. I can only handle so much of the Rufus Wainwright Voice though.

I can hear the catholic influence. Also does he sound like Julian Casablancas and Thom Yorke combined somehow to anyone else? anyway, I had never listened to Rufus Wainwright but I enjoyed it

Heard of the artist but never listened. Rock from 2004. Quite enjoying this - vocals have had a Matt Bellamy and Radiohead vibe at points. Might have to rate this as a low 4!

Lots of fun groove and good ideas.

💖 the one you love 🗣️ 8️⃣

Haunting melodies. Reminiscent of later Radiohead albums.

Qué bonito cantas, Rufus.

Hits voice is hypnotizing. 4/5

Rather sweet, really

On vogue de genre en genre, une approche théâtrale en début d’album, puis pop, puis trop hop avec waiting for a dream - une belle redécouverte

Very beautiful and well made! A gem of the 2000s

I did listen to this album when it was first recommended here but I honestly couldn't tell you if I liked it or not. I think I was torn between really enjoying some songs and not liking some others at all. It's not a bad album, pretty interesting. Kind of sounds like Radiohead and Andrew Bird.

Baroque Pop. I liked it!

I only new him by name. The first song is boring. Then it gets better. Actually really good. As if Radiohead made a cabaret record. It could have been shorter. Favorite song: Old Whore's Diet.

I get that he is a bit whiny, but it is good whining

"No, I won't be the one Baptized in cum" lmao

Доста дзен

This Love Affair of an album had me under the Peach Trees gazing upon the Memphis Skyline Waiting for a Dream eating a loaf of bread Crumb By Crumb waiting for a Gay Messiah.

Rating: 7/10 Best songs: The one you love, Old whore’s diet

I love me a good 2000s era chamber pop album. I somehow never got into him like I did several of his contemporaries, but this album is really great. Lots of lush arrangements and beautiful songwriting.

This wasn't bad. A little Thom York, and a little Elliott Smith. I liked it.

Favorite Tracks: Little Sister The One You Love The Art Teacher Peach Trees

Enjoyed this one, reminded me of Radiohead and Sufjan Stevens mixed together

Well, here's a pretty weird album. But you know what? I liked it. This is an album that goes in a few interesting directions that come together to form a pretty solid album. The opening track didn't sell me and is probably the worst on the album. Once the other songs started, then it started to reel me in before closing on another somewhat weak note. But the stuff in between those two songs is quite good. The sound was well made. I've seen some reviews on this site claiming that all Rufus does is whine instead of sing. Honestly, I don't get where those people are coming from. I think that the singing is just fine. There's some pretty interesting subjects in the songs, and this album definitely shows the range of the artist. Overall, I thought this album was pretty decent. Although, maybe listening to Want One will make me understand it a bit more. light 4/5.

Rufus s'est ici efforcé de copier Jeff Buckley jusque dans les moindres détails, allant même jusqu'à supplier son père de l'abandonner, bien que celui-ci lui rappelle qu'il a déjà dépassé les 30 ans. Un vrai coup dur.

Excellent album de parodies de Jeff Buckley, les bruits de claquements de portes et de pleurs d'enfants sont en revanche à revoir.

Almost too much ... extremely, almost absurdly good by a unique and massive talent. Hard to say which is better Want One or Want Two. Both are rich, many-layered (again, almost too much) but compelling throughout. Rewards multiple listens.

actually pretty good

Waaaaayyyyy better than Want One. Took me a few times to start really liking it, but when I did, I started really liking it! Standouts: Little Sister, The Art Teacher, 4/5

Qué bonito cantas, Rufus.

- kinda sounds like folk Radiohead

Quite a surprisingly good and artistic album, lacking a standout song but overall high quality

It's ambitious and fun. Maybe a bit uneven, but I enjoyed it.