Want Two

Didn't think I was gonna like this but was pretty entranced. Will I play again prob not. Great voice, unusual opening track and sometimes I hearThom York.

This was interesting and hard to categorize. Not sure how much I would listen to it but it can be compelling.

Cool sounding indie, but not exciting

S'alright, The One You Love was my favorite. Pity it was the second song on the album!

I sure respect him, he's a local artist from where I live, but not really my kind of music.

Great artist. I'm just not a big fan.

This is very similar to Radiohead with an emphasis on symphony instruments.

Je ne peux pas mettre plus qu'à l'autre

I was aware of the name but not the voice. Really disliked the opening sounds but then warmed to the actual songs.

Cat:I don’t know why I thought I was gonna hate this. I really liked it! He is seriously talented. Feel like there’s a mix of genres happening here. Little sister is Beatle-y/Billy Joel-ish. The One you Love sounds Radiohead-like. Old Whore’s Diet could be Paul Simon. Rad.

It was ok

Singing is the uncanny valley of Thom York. Might not be Rufus fault but with Radiohead at the height of their powers here it's just too similar. Otherwise some nice tunes on the album. I may come back to this in a couple years and really like it

First time I heard this I thought it was just OK. This time I really got into it. I thought it was amazing at times. Just might end up being a classic some day. Standouts: The One You Love 3.5/5

It's fine. not my cup of tea at all but that's on me

I do like it but it gives heavy Umbrella Academy vibes for some reason. It’s not an album I’d listen to on a regular basis but it’s not bad.

No one can say that Rufus Wainwright is a bad writer and performer. His songs are ripe with melodic ideas and interesting one-liners, generally speaking. The thing is, as good as Rufus's skills are, there's not much rhyme or reason in the way the double-feature *Want* was contructed. Maybe a great *single album* lies there somewhere, if Wainwright had been better at self-editing himself. But frankly, I'm not interested enough to recreate said single LP. Because, as decent and lushly produced as the music is in those twin albums, most of their cuts still come off as derivative at the end of the day. And a lot of them even sound pretty quaint, trite, chatty or oversentimental. Which is a huge problem in my book. Some reviewers in here compared Wainwright's voice with the one of Thom Yorke, and I can see why they did so. But if Radiohead dabbled in mock-novelty cuts once in a while, the latter were always mixed up with many different styles. And the whole yet managed to be part of the same connective tissue. *Want One* and *Want Two* are actually far less adventurous when it comes to the genres they use or refer to. And yet they never manage to create such cohesiveness. It's like a catalogue of exercises in styles, with very few songs being instantly memorable, unfortunately. Exceptions in *Want Two* are "Peach Trees", "Waiting For A Dream" and "The Art Teacher", whose fantastic chord sequence--both off-kilter yet immensely poignant and pleasurable--is a great backdrop for this sarcastic but ultimately tender song about a former art student who married her way into big money instead of pursuing love interests in an artistic environment. Opener "Agnus Dei" is also impressive, but it's mostly a moody orchestral introduction. Ambitions are very misplaced in this second volume anyway. Case in point, closer "Old Whore's Diet", a duet with Anhoni from Anthony And The Johnson whose baroque and epic climax can't make up from how ridiculous the first part of the song is--it's basically a reggae track played with all the wrong intents and arrangements. A poorly though-out cut, and also, a poorly executed one. Yuck! It's hard to review *Want Two* without reviewing *Want One*, which has been given a separate slot in the 1001 albums book (one slot for Rufus Wainwright is already arguable, but *two*???!). The highlights there are the rococo opener "What A World"--lush with orchestral quotes form Ravel's Bolero--, more experimental and subdued "Vicious World" and "Want", and the climactic, heartfelt ballads "Go Or Go Ahead" and "Beautiful Child". Oh, and there's the incredibly sour closer "Dinner At Eight", where Rufus narrates a dinner evening with his dad--the folk singer Loudon Wainwright III--going very fucking *wrong*. It's a true story, by the way, and a quick search online shows that Rufus follows an old tradition of the Wainwright extended clan here--one that allows each family member to give jabs at their close relatives through their songs--be they father, son, daughter or exes. Best case scenario, those cuts settle the score, and the whole dysfunctional routine starts again some time after a temporary reconciliation. Quite an endearing family of neurotic artists! Loudon especially, often comes off as an insensitive and stubborn patriarch, as talented as he was as an artist. Waiting for the HBO series that would take inspiration from this weird clan of musicians for its next big hit onscreen... All of this is nice and well, and it sure is interesting. But as I said, and all biographical anecdotes apart, the problem is that there are not enough truly memorable moments in *Want* (one AND two) to justify adding it to this list. The songs I have not quoted in this review (and there are a lot of them!) go from Robbie Williams-like innocuous bland rock-pop cuts to more extravagant cabaret shenanigans, where Wainwright go through his histrionic routine without imprinting it on the listener's mind, very sadly. And I guess in the middle of those two extremities, you can find a bit of Elton John. But without the hits. And without the hits, you can't call a pop-rock album a keeper, be it part of an ambitious double-feature. So next, please. Following the specific purposes of this list of essential albums, I'm giving a 3/5 grade for both *Want One* and *Want Two* (the first still sounds slightly more convincing than the second to me, but the difference is not big enough to bother giving distinct gradings to those two LPs). A grading which translates to a 8/10 for more objective and general purposes (5 + 3)... Number of albums left to review: 493 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 240 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 115 Albums from the list I will certainly *not* include in mine (many others are more essential to me): 149 (including this one)

28th June 2023 Listened a day late on the drive to London. Was in Birmingham for comms away day. Sounds like a folky Radiohead.

last couple songs have a nice melancholy melody which i felt

i feel like this inspired sufjan

Interestingly lyrical and brushing on atypical topics

Fine

I get why people don't like his voice, but it's not that he's whining. It's just the way he draws out every note without any breaks in between. It works for some songs, but a whole album is a bit much.

Intesring mix of styles, mainly singer-songwriter, but opening with an arabic sounding song, and including some in an opeartic style. Not really my style of music, but pleasant background mudic.

A few tracks have cool arrangements, but most are pretty sleepy. Plus, I am not the target audience in terms of lyrical content. Great vocals, though.

I really can't tell if this is good or really annoying

Best Song: The Art Teacher. Beautifully sad. In an album of lovely lyrics, these are the loveliest. Worst Song: Old Whore's Diet. This song feels totally at odds with everything else on the album. It's louder, longer, and has no interesting lyrics - just endless repetition. Overall: It feels a bit like if they took Elliot Smith and told him to play rock and roll. The lyrics are nice, but the delivery is so nasal that at times I imagined his nostrils opening and closing like little mouths to sing the song themselves. Plus, the production is often too busy to appreciate the songwriting itself. Oh and goddamn if he doesn't have the spittiest, raspiest inhale that he does straight into the mic after half the line deliveries.

3.5/5

I never heard of this before, but its not bad. Decent tracks, nice and relaxing. Reminds me of Thom Yorke or maybe Peter Gabriel. 3/5

Very interesting opening. Had avoided Rufus assuming it would be standard singer/songwriter stuff. Obviously that’s core here but it’s made more interesting with the arrangements. Ultimately I may be more interested in the operas than the ballads. I don’t think he’ll be a regular in the rotation but glad to have listened.

Jackson Pollock: Angus Dei is a cool opener, not expected almost a little ambient, does remind me of Thom Yorke a little. The one you love is a nice funky change to the first tune. Little sister is another very different song. Varied start to the record, thought this third track doesn't quite have the same intensity as the first two. Had a difficult excel problem and got distracted, I think I was enjoying the noises. This love affair is where I picked up. Getting a little whiney at this point. Crumb by Crumb is cool. Old whores diet really went for a left turn, okay that song went for about 5mins too long. FAVS: Angus Dei The one you love HATES: Old Whores diet Peach Trees Overall: Strong varied start, the second half of the record dragged, and it didn't need to be 50 odd minutes, Old Whores diet was particularly unnecessary. Brought it from a 4 to a 3.

Lastig, ik mag die gast wel. Maakt mooie dingen maar kan ook gruwelijke zeurend zingen..

Rufus houdt het patent op lichtzinnige liedjes niet in bezit; bij vlagen echt prachtig, soms wat saai.

Heel theatraal met tijd en wijlen, maar wat een zanger. Prachtige stem!

A bit one dimensional and at times more whiney sing-talking than singing, but overall I enjoyed the listen. A couple of the songs fell victim to wordiness without cohesive musicality but I enjoyed the lyricism and emotion of most tracks

Smooth relaxing vocals with good musical accompaniment. Some songs started to blend together but it was an enjoyable listen.

Didn't know what to expect here so pleasantly surprised. Not really my thing but I did enjoy the songs The One You Love and Old Whore's Diet.

All about showing off his vocals, some of its ok

Did not love this. It was kind of interesting and none of it was really bad but it got tiring after a while. Low 3.

Orchestral bookends promised more than was within. That was good pop, with an out-of-time feel making me take note. Confirmation of I Am a Bird Now, and explicit connection to the same.

This one grew on me with repeated listenings. Good songs and complex arrangements, all underpinned by the distinctive voice.

Easy listening

Stunning voice

Pretty not to be included into a 1001 albums list. I can't imagine 3 other albums of Rufus in this list which presumably are much better than this one!?

Sadder Tom Yorke

Me ha gustado

I would definitely listen to more than once, though it starts out real weird and ends real weird, but often weird is good, so give this a go!

Singer-songwritermuziek van iemand die het budget heeft om af en toe een blikje violen open te trekken. Doet ergens denken aan Elton John, maar dan met een verkoudheid en een beetje depri. Af en toe best sfeervol op een donkere wintermiddag.

Ég veit ekki hvort ég gef 2 eða 3 stjörnur. Gæti hlustað aftur en langar ekki til þess.

Pop Rock. Un poco aburrido.

Interesting album, good singing, not my thing but enjoyed the listen

Rufus Wainwright is one of those artists I really want to like more than I actually do. The disparate pieces never seem to come together for me. Frequently, the arrangements are a tad over the top, coupled with a strong vision and lengthy songs. His voice, though, is wonderful, as always - even if the material and orchestration betray him at times.

Nice voice but not my taste in music. Kept thinking I was listening to the soundtrack from moulin rouge.

I think the guy has a lot of artistic integrity and is consistent. Big fan of some of his music, Poses and Release the Stars are good albums. But this album never really took off for me. Unfortunately underwhelmed.

I liked parts of the album but don't think I'd listen to it again, his warbly singing becomes tiresome. The opening track didn't start the album off well and should have been removed in favour of "The One You Love" which is far superior. Other highlights were "Little Sister" and "Waiting for a Dream"

Kind of like Radiohead met Ed Sheeran... not sure what to do with this. Don't hate it though.

Not bad. I started off really into it, but it seemed to slow way down as it got into it, and my interest dropped off a bit. Some nice tracks in here though.

Pretty good

decent as background 3.4

Nice album. First half was a bit morose/ depressing though. Preferred second half.

Tres Montreal.

That first song is real bad. Then there are some kinda good ones. wasn't feeling it much but probably need a second listen?

Rufus Wainwright is a fantastic singer and writer, but this album falls a bit short. His vision is grandiose, campy, and incredibly theatrical. I'm a huge fan of baroque pop and music that incorporates classical instrumentation. However, despite some truly gorgeous moments, I found myself just wanting more from this album. It seems as though he took some great ideas, but didn't see them through as well as he could. Wainwright has a great ear for melody and makes great use of the half step in his vocal lines, and I just wanted more of those interesting, classical inspired musical motifs.

Feels a bit overwrought, but not bad. More interesting than the last several FJM albums.

Really enjoyed "Old Whore's Diet". I remember this album (or maybe Want One) was somewhat controversial as child? Not sure why. Vocal elements remind me of Travis or Thom Yorke.

This album has the feeling like you're listening to a theatrical rendition of the stories being relayed. So many songs are heavily orchestrated, some are the intermezzo ballads before bringing you back to movement III. And even though every song is vastly different than the rest and Rufus Wainwright is an incredible vocalist, plus the songs are all quality, this album certainly isn't for everyone. The lamentations, with Rufus and a piano, are overly romantic, and many of the songs are just over-the-top orchestrated. And to be honest, a lot of the songs really aren't all that good, with notable exceptions. Rufus Wainwright is clearly immensely talented, but for me, this album does not showcase that talent well.

Todo un descubrimiento de voz. Con muy altos tonos. Canciones muy bien elaboradas. Mezcla de pop y un tanto de música algo étnica. Muy agradable de escuchar. No es mi género preferido, pero se puede escuchar en cualquier momento

Thom Yorke and Beck had a baby... and it's Rufus Wainwright. I might have liked this album more with a different (IE non-monotone, whiny) singer, but overall it was too slow for my tastes regardless. Wainwright's singing really started to get on my nerves a few songs into this.

3.5 - I’m newly familiar with “chamber pop” as a genre and I think the designation perfectly describes this record. Thoughtfully crafted songs from an authentic perspective of a gay man. Standouts: “The Art Teacher”, “Waiting for a Dream.”

I have no idea how I felt about it. Felt like some of it should appeal to me and my tastes but I found it irritating. A bit weyes blood as times, who I love, but I'm not sure his voice is good enough for those long held notes... Some of them pretentious and annoying. Was pleased I successfully identified Antonys voice from Antony and the Jonson's of the Old Whores Diet... Wtf was that about

After the first song I thought 'oh this is gonna be a slog' but then it picked up a lot and I really liked it. Quite a lot of variety but all brought together by his voice, which sounds like Thom Yorke. Interesting fact, Rufus Wainwright is not the guy who banged on about lake district hills his whole life.

Algo como Thome Yorke. Interesante, pero nada espectacular.

Beautiful compositions, interesting production etc, but that voice for an hour is a bit much for me - too much, too rich

U nekim pjesmama me podsjeća na Radiohead, ali mislim na onaj kasniji period, više nekako na A Moon Shaped Pool album - glas još više potvrdi to. Što sam čuo, sviđa mi se album, baš je nekako, ne znam, evo vrijeme je gloomy, hladnije, onako pravo jesenski, kao da će kiša, nije sparno. Jače od trojke, slabije od četvorke. Middle earth.

This album was an interesting listen, not at all what I expected. It started well but his grating voice was unbearable by the end.

Wainwright's 4th album and second of the "Want" series. Only two albums in that series. His music is described as Baroque Rock which combines elements of rock music with classical music. I learned something today and it is a very accurate description of the music. This album is kind all over the place; there are pop songs, ballads, a waltz, some songs use more string arrangements and a song with reggae backbeat. There is no doubt this guy has talent; a great voice and the music sounds great and complex (with the arrangements). I personally like his second album "Poses " better. Some album highlights are "The One You Love" - nice pop song with a choir, "The Art Teacher" - very dramatic and recorded live and "Old Whore's Diet" - this 8 minute song kind of summed up the album as it goes over the place with a reggae backbeat at times and vocals from Anohni (Antony and the Johnsons). For some reason, I could not get into this album. I recognize the talent, the album achievement of variety and I'm sure a lot of others like this album quite a bit.

Want Two is better than I expected, he has a great voice, some of the compositions are stunning, like Agnus Dei and Love Affair, but overall it just earns a good 3/5.

His voice is gorgeous, and some of these songs are really pretty. However, there's nothing here that really elevates it. I think it just scrapes a 3, it's a perfectly pleasant listen but doesn't hit any real heights.

Never gonna set my world on fire but it was ok, something a bit different

Operatic pop, often cinematic. I was half expecting to dislike this album, but ended up thinking it was alright. 2.5

- i like when artists kill me with the first song - you hear lots of thom yorke and matt bellamy in his voice

Great songwriting, just not exactly my thing.

Un bon album dansson genre. Edt ce quec’est son meilleur je ne sais pas mais je suis intrigue, d’autre sur cette liste .3.5

Not bad, but nothing moved me extraordinarily

Ça c’est de la yeule molle ! Ça fini par tanner. Autrement j’ai bien aimé, surtout « old whore’s diet ».

É... esse aqui não é muito minha praia não...

This was alright but not really my cup of tea

Ehm…. Oké.

Genre: Chamber Pop 3/5 A decent Pop offering from a songwriter I was not familiar with until listening. While the scope of this project is quite grand, and the production is lush, expensive, and clean, its persistent melodrama doesn’t quite mix with Rufus’ near-Thom Yorke style vocals. Agnus Dei was very intriguing, and served as a great intro, but it never quite got back to that mysterious, progressive side much again after that. This is a well-made album, with some solid ideas and good vocals, and Wainright is a very talented songwriter. Just not all one of my favs.

Bit jaunty.

Atmospheric. The tone wanders a bit and I can't say I *disliked* it but it definitely requires you to be in a specific kind of mood

As a pedant classical music fan am not quite fond of directly adding classical stuff in pop so not quite into the album. Rhythm is too slack also. Add a star for Old Whore's Diet...

I didn't realize how much of his music I'd heard before listening to this album! Good stuff. Will certainly become a staple of my "normal" rotation.

I can see the appeal but not quite to my taste. Would see live...

Abgespacet, aber ganz cool

not really my style but it was fine.

Bra album med nästan enbart bra låtar men känns inte speciellt banbrytande, där majoriteten låter som rätt många andra runt den här tiden. Lite som en 'indie/folk' version av tidiga Muse, Midlake, the Strokes, Anthony and the Johnssons, Woodkid m.flr. (kanske bara inte har öra för sånt här...?) Där Rufus sticker ut från de ovannämnda är i de lite mer 'storslagna' låtarna med fler kreativa instrumentuppsättningar och mer 'textboksklassisk' dramatik. Väldigt maffig komposition emellanåt men kan inte riktigt leverera när det kommer till den 'musikkvalitativa' dynamiken, allting går inte igenom lurarna till lyssnaren och ljudet får en lite 'komprimerad' känsla och orkesterinslagen känns lite nedprioriterade. Man känner sig lite "snuvad på konfekten" då sång och de mer konventionella instrumenten såsom sträng, bas och trummor är så väl återgiven. Jag gillar därför mer de *mer* minimalistiska låtarna där återgivningen är som bäst och allt känns polerat vilket gör låtarna och artisten rättvisa, tex. "Little Sister" och "Gay Messiah". De mer 'enkla' låtarna lyckas fortfarande behålla lite kreativa inslag. Har inte hört förut men kommer definitivt fortsätta lyssna på Rufus. Blir dock inget toppbetyg då hela albumment känns lite för konventionellt för att vara ett banbrytande eller kurssättande album i sin genre och tid, samt låtarna, visserligen väldigt bra, inte gör något avsevärt bättre och därmed inte sticker ut ibland sina jämlikar för att rättfärdiga någon slags framtida 'klassiker' status. Lite som en häftig småskalig craft lager, något som jag verkligen uppskattar och ser mig som målgrupp men kanske inte sätter riktningen för bärs framöver.

Mixed feelings on this one. Musically very impressive and some very good lyrics, but overall kind of boring.

The music is surprisingly layered and the strings and piano are very interesting. The music is fine, nothing that really engages beyond initial pleasantries.

I wish I could do half-stars, but oh well. This is hard to rate effectively because I like and don't like parts in equal measure.

I didn’t hate it as much as I thought I Would I mean I did an absolutely love it it was a little droopy at times but I thought that it was actually kind of good

Härligt experimentellt musikaliskt. Ibland lät det som Michael Bublé på LSD, vilket inte var helt fel.

1st track got some kind of Radiohead vibes. More classical though. Gets some Harry Nhielson vibes going too. Not my thing at all so would struggle to give it more than a 3, however I can totally see how it's on the 1001 album list. 3/5

Solid

For people who like Radiohead, but don’t like depressed Radiohead

A good Rufus Album but I preferred Want One.

пиздец, какой же пидорский альбом...... реально, самая гейская музыка в этом списке. Причем мой самый нелюбимый сорт гейства - постоянное нытье и театральные страдания, выраженные в виде унылых баллад. Тут даже есть песня Gay Messiah (если честно, довольно мерзкая), просто почитайте этот текст: ...No it will not be me Rufus the baptist I be No I won't be the one Baptized in cum... Это не гачи-версия, лол, я ничего не менял, если что. Короче, прямо евровиденческое гейство. Ну ладно, с плюсами закончили, теперь к минусам.... Ладно, на самом деле альбом как минимум неоднозначный. Если не читать тексты - то воспринимается намного приятнее, всё-таки певец на кожаном микрофоне тут довольно качественный, ну и с каким-никаким Уайлдовским чувством юмора (я охуел, когда узнал, что он американо-канадец, на такое гейство способны только британцы, кмк). Начинается довольно неплохо всё, распевное интро с авангардными скрипочками, там правда пгм какой-то по тексту, но он на латыни, так что простим. Дальше идёт даже настоящая качевая песня (одна из двух на всей пластинке)! И вполне приятная, прям такой театральный брит-поп. Дальше начинается унылая череда баллад, какие-то выделяются, какие-то нет, но к середине альбома реально начинаешь терять интерес и изначальное расположение. Из этой мешанины, пожалуй, могу выделить Art Teacher (сюжет как в порнухе), Little Sister (я надеюсь, что я не понял, о чем песня), Hometown Waltz (тбх, таких струнных я ждал везде, не зря же там барокко-поп на википедии указали) и Love Affair (середняк, но почему-то выхватило ухо). После этого ещё пара щенячих стенаний, и, наконец - единственная реально годная песня с этого альбома - закрывашка Old Whore's Diet (там ещё реприза последней песней идёт, но хуй с ним). Вот тут, честно говоря, я впервые реально прокачался, после минутки завываний внезапно врывается аппетитный латинский ритм, начинают подпевать девочки на бэках, какой-то оперный певец густо басит... ну короче реально стоит прослушивания, этакий Шико Буарке на минималках. Из фактов о песне я узнал, что песня была написана после того как Вейнрайт нашёл у себя дома какую-то испорченную еду и жоска её зохавал (типа это и есть диета старой шлюхи), но мы-то прекрасно понимаем, что это всё пиздеж, и песня (впрочем, как и все остальные) естественно о мужских членах. В общем, смешанные чувства, хорошие песни есть, но ощущение какое-то всратое осталось после нескольких прослушиваний. Будь это альбом о женских вагинах - я бы может и повыше натянул, но так ощущаю своё состояние на 6/10, ну так и запишем, значит.

Some really nice songs and it warrants another listen. 3.5

Did homeboy sound like Thom Yorke? Kind of like a stripped down more theatric Radiohead. I liked it.

3 1/2

Rufus has a style that is very particular and can be offsetting to most when you get past his bigger hits. I'm a fan of Rufus and listening to this album top to bottom felt tough for me. Still a great album that highlights his vocal range.

Agnus Dei - Very Latin religious wailing vibe, like something you'd hear in a movie soundtrack about ancient Rome. Opener is a bit unique but does give a hint to the style/vibe of the album. Voice is a lot like Josh Homme if he didn't get into hard rock, same wailing, long notes. Some songs he's channeling a lot of Thom Yorke. Album is very mellow/chill. Piano, lounge music drums, but has a stoner vibe. Legit sounds like this was written and performed by depressed Josh Homme. Some orchestral instruments, very melodic tunes. Would have been my cup of tea in the past, bit too slow for my tastes now but is very well done if in the mood for some slow/sad tunes.

A very enjoyable listen. Beautiful songwriting, dramatic phrasing and arrangements. Though the music is not my usual fare, the talent is undeniable. His voice is expresdivecand powerful and the melodiescate memorable. 3.5 🌟

Not bad at all, feels like if Thom Yorke went in a completely different direction or never met Radiohead. Good voice and interesting ideas.

Meh.

Muse-lite

This is pretty good; eclectic and varied, but also a bit over-indulgent. I like strong melodies and the complete lack of them made this hard to get into. Music that is basically designed to be background music for an indie film. But the sound is nice, and if you stop to really listen, there’s a ton to find and hear in every second. Favourite track: “Gay Messiah”

Some nice moments. Wasn’t crazy about it

Enjoyed this, although likely never listen again. Wainwright's voice often reminded me of Thom Yorke's, so was quite interesting to listen to this as an alternative universe Radiohead album

if thom yorke and david byrne had a baby

Finally a daily album from an artist who I have meant to give more attention. The only Rufus album I have listened to before is Want One, so I suppose Want Two is a good place to continue. I really enjoyed this album although the plethora of musical styles from opera to pop may be too much over the course of one album. He can play then all though, and what a voice! Very good stuff.

Genuinely cannot tell if it's my bad internet of just the song that's making it sound like that Internet is having a hard time so far good tho Final Thoughts: 3/5

An unexpected delight. Wonderful lyrics and some quite brilliant songs on here. I will definitely revisit

Sonorous and pleasing to the ears mostly with poetry to make you think.

Channelling a lot of Thom Yorke in places. It’s a circus of an album.

Heard about Rufus, but never listened to him. Good sound. Alt-music. I'm intrigued.

Nicely atmospheric with some pretty tracks, but nothing special

Saved Prior: None Saved Off Rip: The One You Love, Old Whore's Diet Cutting Edge: Little Sister Overall Notes: A pleasant album. Not really sure why it's required listening but glad I listened to it. This is perfect music to put on in the background while you do work.

Original, but turns into the tedious the longer it goes.

Listened to most of it I like the art teacher one

Rufus Wainwright is a talented singer, songwriter, and musician. Not really an album I would put on normally, though. Would have to be in the right mood.

Kaunista musisointia ja laulamista, mutta jotenkin jopa liian eteeristä tähän sähäkkään torstain alkuiltaan. Tasaisen hyvää suorittamista, mutta ne helmet jäi omalta osalta puuttumaan.

Unfortunate that I got the second album before the first (Want One). What purposeful music though! Compositions are wide and sweeping, lifting Wainwright's voice and giving it so much dignity. I'm reminded of Sufjan Stevens in a lot of ways, that being "fancy pop" for lack of a better term (there's even banjo at one point!). I think it is very good, but perhaps a little to grand for it's own good? It ends up trying to be this magnificent magnum opus and comes across as maybe too much. It becomes a bit tiring with all of it's orchestrations and it makes me wish there was just a straight pop song or stripped-down acoustic song for grounding. Otherwise it's a nice listen. I don't want to rag on it too much but I had to figure out why it didn't click as much as I had thought.

Was just hanging on listening to the music - interesting/ genre mixing. Started to pay attention to some lyrics. Not impressed

6/10. This has some cool ideas, musically and lyrically, especially in the first part of the album. However, I think overall it comes off as maudlin and fairly corny, and the more baroque-styled tracks get a bit grating.

I saw him in concert when he toured with Ben Folds and I kept thinking 'get this fucker off the stage'. Hes way better than I gave him credit for.

Very Yorke-y. Not bad

I have listened to a fair bit of Rufus Wainwright and this was consistent with what I think when I think of him. His voice is beautiful, the songs are thoughtfully constructed and embellished with strings. In the end though, the music is just so brooding that it brings the whole experience down for me.

Pretty good - weird, but Rufus is interesting

Good voice, but not the type of music I'd want to listen to. I have heard "The Art Teacher" before. His voice with another style of music would be interesting.

First thoughts went to Radiohead but then all I could hear was Ball Park Music. Nothing bad but not great

Very Radiohead at points but with a more pop sensibility, not bad

En tiedä oliko musa vai muuten vaan hyvä päivä, mutta oli ihan ok pläjäys :)

Radiohead vibes but more opera-tinged(?) music

cool album

Only got about halfway through, and my eyes started hurting from rolling them so much. We get it dude, you’re cultured. This album is just so much pretentious bullshit. Which is fine, as long as you are an amazing musician, singer or writer. He is none of those. The instrumentation is interesting and cool at times. But the whole album is overshadowed by the fact that this artist seems absolutely insufferable. Low 2/5, purely because some of the musical arrangements were good.

Not sure I understand why this was included. The tracks are relatively lackluster and Wainwright's voice, while decent, isn't amazing. I suppose it is effective for some, but it didn't do really much for me. Memphis Skyline wasn't bad. Sounded a touch like Jeff Buckley at the beginning (ironic, given why he wrote this track) and felt like a Billy Joel type of song later on, though it paled in comparison to either artist. It's not the worst thing I have ever listened to, but it is also far from the best. 2 stars.

Fuck there's another one of these that's on here

When this started, I feared I would loathe it. As it turns out, it wasn’t quite loathe - but I didn’t like it much either. It’s really a 2.5* album, but I didn’t like it enough to give it 3*.

Hey Rufus, you wanna know what gets ME going in the morning? Music that doesn't annoy the everloving fuck out of me, that's what.

This album had some interesting parts and a wide mix of styles- i actually can't really come to a conclusion on what genre this is. The singer sounded a little like the lead singer of Muse. Overall- not bad but not really mt favorite

Album #107: Want Two - Rufus Wainwright Genre (W): Baroque pop, alternative rock Singles: The One You Love I have not listened to this album before. Thoughts?: Happy Pride Month to all who celebrate! I love the arrangements, and I believe Wainwright’s vocals are great. He reminds me of Thom Yorke, the lead singer of Radiohead. However, the lyrics aren’t the best in my opinion. Favorite songs: Agnus Dei, Hometown Waltz, This Love Affair, Memphis Skyline

Pretty bad

An album I know I don't Want Two listen anymore !

Of all the artists to have more than one album on this list, why this guy? I understand that this is supposed to be the part two of the other album, but still it feels like a waste of a slot. Hell, I'd say neither of them belong here. The album itself doesn't justify this decision because it's not very good in my opinion. I didn't mind "Want One" that much, but I don't have as much patience with this one. I'm glad that this is likely the last time I'll have to listen to Rufus Wainwright. Favorite track: Waiting For A Dream

Self proclaimed gay messiah etc. Pretty sure I've already had a Rufus record and zero of his dad's or sister's. This Dimery guy stinks.

I guess if I wanted to see some art movie flick that I didn't like- this would be the soundtrack of the album. Way too cabriolet meets some mid-tempo string orchestral that is trying too hard to be pretentious. I see that I have the first album from Rufus yet to drop into my feed - sigh......

I thought Rufus Wainwright was a 1970s Americana act and now I learn he’s a Radiohead ripoff. And a boring one at that.

This is not a bad album, but it’s not an interesting or memorable one, either.

This guy has a brilliant voice (like Thom Yorke and Fran Healy had a clone made), and yet the musicianship and structure is absolutely wasted. This is what my wife hears when Radiohead come on.

1. Agnus Dei (★★⯨☆☆) 2. The One You Love (★★★⯨☆) 3. Peach Trees (★★⯨☆☆) 4. Little Sister (★★⯨☆☆) 5. The Art Teacher (★★⯨☆☆) 6. Hometown Waltz (★★☆☆☆) 7. This Love Affair (★★⯨☆☆) 8. Gay Messiah (★★⯨☆☆) 9. Memphis Skyline (★★⯨☆☆) 10. Waiting For A Dream (★★★⯨☆) 11. Crumb by Crumb (★★★☆☆) 12. Old Whore's Diet (★★⯨☆☆) 13. Coeur De Parisienne (★★☆☆☆) TOTAL = ★★⯨☆☆ (2) -Demasiado pretencioso, mezclando géneros y elementos que para mi suenan mal, desagradable, discordantes, aunque por suerte sin llegar a lo experimental, quizás sea que no es para mí y listo.

boring

This is the second Rufus Wainright album that I've gotten and I'm quite witless to reason why he should get one, much less two spots on here.

Moest hem even op Wikipedia opzoeken zelfs. Nog nooit gehoord van gekke rufus. Dit zal ongetwijfeld objectief een enorm goed album zijn. Ik zal dan ook pretenderen dat ik dat heb waargenomen. Vind het wel knap hoeveel reikwijdte hij heeft. Vind het alleen niet perse complementair. Het is niet helemaal voor mij. Mijn kleine sidequest op Wikipedia maakte me wel benieuwd. De beste man heeft op het toppunt van zijn crystal meth verslaving een soort psychotische week gehad, waarin hij oa ook een “debauched night” had met zijn moeder en een andere vrouw van in de 60. Dit laat toch teveel open ter interpretatie als je het mij vraagt. Ohja, daarna dus rehab en dit album gemaakt.

Yawn...

2 sterne

Ikke imponert.

The first album I couldn't finish. String arrangements were very nice. Way too much sad sad crooning though. Couldn't sit through it in traffic.

I always wondered why I didn’t get into Rufus Wainwright. Now I know. Some good stuff but too much not good

I’ll tell you what I want, what I really, really want…….. not this!

I can tell the guy has talent. But it does nothing for me. Sounds like a drama club Radiohead.

Kind of a weird bohemian record-y thing. Rufus has such a great voice.

Okay, some of it falls into the category of quirky folk music and that I do not like. The One You Love has that sound and it's just kind of annoying. Some of it though is quite nice. Peach Trees was a treat for me, having some of those same tropes but somehow utilizing them better. Eclectic mix of orchestration for sure, but nothing I would say is egregiously strange and alienating for me, the avg listener. That said, only a few of them work better than others. Maybe like a high 2? Like a 2.7 or 2.8.

Algumas vezes o álbum não é para meus ouvidos e esse foi o caso. Passa longe de ser um som que eu gosto. Em outros álbuns eu até consigo apreciar algo da composição e execução da obra. Mas nesse caso eu só achei chato. Moondrop May.

Meh

decent songwriting but the vocal style is just viscerally unpleasant.

Radiohead

Smakade som en pretentiös Casablanca

It’s probably a combo of the guy’s hair on the cover and the fact that the music is a teensy bit boring, mopey, Thom Yorke soundalike that I would rather be checking out something else but I really got a hankering to listen to some Savage Garden even more than I usually do. I don’t need to try to explain I just hold on tight and if it happens again I might move so slightly to the arms and the lips and the face of the human cannonball that I need to, I WANT TWO!

Not unlistenable but definitely not re-listenable

I could’ve done without this one ngl

radiohead ma dan mid?

vf beetje gezaag

this guy sounds just like them Yorke!!! you could have told me this was a them Yorke side project and I would entirely believe you. which is miffing me

5/10

In my mind Rufus Wainwright only exists in the Shrek universe. This album would probably be 5 stars there since it sounds as if it’s the Shrek folks making satire of industry plant pop music. But this is real life baby and Rufus gets a 2 here

Det var en ret vag omgang. jeg spidsede mest øre da Antony Hegarty tonede frem. Dér blev det unikt.

Det er slet ikke mig

Found most of this boring

On reflection…..not quite saved by the last track. Too repetitive and whiny.

Meh.

Lachrymose

Was mostly ok

Meh, seemed like some guy complaining about various things (though I listened distractedly while driving errands: I might like it more with a deeper, sustained listen)

Not my thing.

-this record is not for me, but shout out to all the yearning twink English majors out there. -he really puts the baroque in baroque pop, powdered wigs and all. -there's an irritating affectation you can hear on some songs (most audibly on "The Art Teacher") where he inhales through his teeth. it drove me nuts. -RW reminds me of working at the local public library when I was in high school. The library ladies loved RW. It's definitely librarian music.

Sometimes you just gotta give people what they want ... in this case a two

Sadly the more songs I listened to the more it moved down from 3 to a 2. Serves him right for being called Rufus really.

Two lice albums in a row. 4/10

Overall, not my tempo. It's somehow dull and overstimulating at the same time. Most confusing thing I've heard so far. I definitely feel certain ways about it but lord help me if I know what those are. I'd rank it pretty high for creativity and the interesting juxtaposition between the lyrics and the music, but I enjoyed the relief of the silence that followed the last track a bit too much. I didn't even realize I was in pain. Ope.

Why? The second song on this album shows a little bit of life but it’s also in contrast to the rest of the album which is a lifeless, anti-melodic drone. This Love Affair proves that this guy can’t sing, flat and dull.

I like easy listening, but this is too sleepy for me. Favorite track: Waiting For a Dream.

it's good but completely forgettable

Interesting Harmony's! Very classically influenced. Still not a fan, wouldn't seem this out

2.5 - the songs were good but his voice ruined many of them

I found Want One very irritating. This was more interesting. I still don't like his vocal stylings and i find most of it pretentious guff. However there were some nice bits but overall not for me.

The Thom Yorke comparisons are funny. I've liked a couple of his tunes, one a cover, but nothing on this album was any good. Agree with comments that it comes across a bit pretentious.

I wanted to (no pun intended) like this album and I just didn't. If you're looking for joyful/somber pairings, One might make the case that perhaps Ani DiFranco's Reveling/Reckoning double album release would be a better example of such an effort than Want One/Two -- and I don't listen to that pairing very often, either. But I really didn't enjoy Two that much. The album starts off without much continuity. It finally begins to settle with "Art Teacher" but there were foibles in Wainright's voice on this song that started to annoy me. Being a Jeff Buckley fan, I had high hopes for "Memphis Skyline" but also felt underwhelmed. The album feels a bit grandiose, and not being too familiar with Wainright, I don't know if this is typical of his style but it was too much for me to really enjoy.

Thing's not to say on a first date, no.4: "I'm really into the music of Rufus Wainwright" I'm sure the Pitchfork luvvies are all over this, but it's not for me. Heard before ❌️ Listened this time ✅️ Some Revisit ❌️ ★★☆☆☆ (4/10) Total reviewed : 257 Already owned : 59 Purchased : 15 To buy list : 1 Nope : 182

No private session used for Spotify. I don't care for Rufus's voice and Dear Lord, is it featured heavily on this album. The music seemed pleasant, maybe if should be redone with someone who doesn't sound if they are falling asleep while they whines..err sings.

Started off nice but too winey

I've listened to this about 4 times now. Not because I've enjoyed it, but because I felt like in each of my listens I wasn't actually giving it enough focus to give an objective review. Unfortunately I'm going to just call it here. This album ain't for me. While not bad, the fact that it hasn't been able to grab my attention after so many attempts speaks volumes. His vocals are fine and some of the songs were better than others, but ultimately it falls short of anything spectacular. For me this is a high 2 verging on 3.

didn't even notice

It had. One good song. Other than that nah bro

boring

this felt longer than it was. bro keeps whining like he’s thom yorke. i don’t like this droned vocal style sorry ..

This starts out okay in that I like the first song but this album is proof that you can have good Van Dyke Parks arrangements but it doesn't matter if all of your songs are like 1 bpm and your voice is 3,000 times louder than everything else. By the end it gets frustrating .

No, thank you. Ill give this a 2 for the musicality of some songs but my god it was whiny.

This style didn’t fall nicely on my ears.

There was some alright bits here and there

Before: I have no idea what this is going be, folk psychedelia? Let's see, lot's of E's (explicit lyrics warnings). Probably not folk psychedelia. During: Wow, the opener is interesting, made me chuckle a little. Then the next track goes in a completely different direction. How have I never heard of this guy before? Maybe this will be interesting. Nope, not interesting at all. About half-way in I start reading some of the reviews. My favorite went something like this "this is the worse Radiohead album ever". I tend to agree. After : I had to skip through the last few tracks. And, what's with all the E warnings? I did not hear anything explicit, at all. I even browsed through some of the lyrics and did not see anything that would garner an E warning.

Just thought this was weird, not for me

Radiohead for theatre kids

Not really that bad, but not something I’m interested in. 2.5/5

I didn't like this one. Like a whiny, depressed Billy Joel.

Fine, I'll give him two, and that's me being generous. In other news, this is my 544th album. Favorite Track: "Old Whore's Diet".

not my speed. sounded like an overly dramatic hour in my opinion. this is my second album of Rufus Wainwright and it isn't clicking yet sadly

I want to like this more than I do, but his singing voice ultimately just comes off as whiney and annoying. There were a couple of songs that I enjoyed that I might return to, but otherwise I don't Want Two listen to this one again.

So whiny.

Really didn't need to hear this. He gives me slight Robbie Williams vibe - that cheesiness, but nowhere near as catchy as a Robbie Williams song.

A little too slow and drawn out for me. Playing was fairly good, just not my kind of music. 2.5/5 Probably won’t listen again

Piano-heavy singer-songwriter, I should like it so much more, but the long-drawn out singing style makes me nuts.

I see two I give two, it was fine but made me want it to be over sooner than it was

Wainwright is clearly very musical. However, I find it very very tedious after the first two songs.

It's music

He's a good singer, that's where I'll end with the genuine positives. The songs are mostly boring, trying to be "avant-garde" and at the same time with classical elements. The album was a chore to get through. Though it wasn't unpleasant to the ear, it was very boring. 2/5

Didn't mind the second track. But overall this was incredibly, almost unbelievably dull.

I don't see the greatness here. There is some interesting tonal stuff at times -- unexpected chords or harmony -- but overall, I think you have to love Wainwright's singing or this is just a lot of melodrama. Didn't work for me.

Not my fave

Bro sorry that your life sucks or whaterver but mine doesn't, so go whine your gloomy songs farther from me please

Similar voice to Thom Yorke in my opinion. Works much better with rock/grunge that chill music personally

4/10 - damn this is whiny, this guy takes whinging to a new level

Background music for people organizing their cast iron pan collection.

He's too showtunes for me. It's very theatrical, which I'm not looking for.

A cross between Thom Yorke and an operatic Danny Kaye in places. Except this is an overtramatic emotional drone of dross with none of Radiohead's melodic or production redeeming features, and none of Kaye's nuance or storytelling genius. Of course nobody deliberately makes an album of impressions. So it's not Rufus' fault that he sounds like these other guys. And even though I have heard of him, after a single listen to this overlong album, with the insult of an excrutiating 'bonus' track that definitely was no bonus - this is consigned to the bin lorry. 1½

2.5/5 - I feel like I should like this a lot more than I do, but it just comes together to be a bit dull. I feel like his voice is lost to lots of theatrics in the music. I like want one way more.

Baroque-pop with theatrical vocal delivery. On a macro level, it does fine, but I found it slightly repetitive and a bit dense.

Oh man. The first track had me really intrigued: it was weird and the voice was cool, spooky and somewhat familiar. By the third track I felt cheated, lured in by the spiritual chanting vibe. It just didn't do anything except whinge. Real shame. Dude has a voice that could be used so much better. Old Whore's Diet was probably my 'favourite' after the first one. Let's just say it was disappointing.

me aburrió un poco, igual me gusta la voz del chabón

'The lady gloom and her hornets / Circling 'round is now before us.' I'm not sure what Rufus wants, but he seems to reach for some kind of amalgam of Queen + Radiohead, achieving the theatrics of the former and the droning philosophy of the latter. To be fair, he's a better lyricist than Yorke, and has the righteous desire to be understood, but he's still an obscurantist and an aesthete at heart. Clearly an ultra-talented maestro, w/ virtuosic vocals + an aptitude for composition, he yet doesn't know how to write a song that gets into your soul. It isn't that he's trying to outsmart the listener, but he constantly outsmarts himself, and writes/sings tracks that are a half-step from his truth. The best song, 'Gay Messiah,' is regretfully facetious. Meh.

Based on the album cover I thought this would be a lot more hippie and slightly more pretentious. It lives up to the pretentious nature but not so much the hippie. It is very emo early 2000's. Mostly it is fine, but nothing spectacular. Every song started to sound the same and his semi-whiny voice just didn't do anything for me. Crumb by Crumb started to show something a little different and a good mesh of his emo vibe and the hippie vibe the cover shows, but then it started to really drag and it was so far in the album to make me really enjoy the album. Plus then we moved into Old Whore's Diet (almost 9 minutes long!) and that did me in. I was on the fence of a 3 but then that last song just pushed me over into blech

I feel like I’ve been recommended Rufus Wainwright in the past because I love Sufjan Stevens and Antony and the Johnsons, both gay icons in modern music, one sublime, the other not. While instrumentally Rufus is very lovely, his voice is way too high in register for my tastes… to the point of being extremely annoying. And he sounds like he’s singing with marbles in his mouth as on Little Sister. Lyrically, it’s fine and I can relate. I just can’t take his voice. I’ll stick with Suf. He’s the quiet, unassuming gay writing beautifully devastating songs alone in his dorm room while Rufus is the drama student with an instrument bursting into song in the library or public space where nobody asked or wants him to. Peach Trees and Gay Messiah are nice though.

Want One is so good! So why doesn't this one work for me at all?

Baroque chamber pop orchestral power wailing. I'd like to like the classical operatic queer intensity, but I straight up did not.

I’m a Rufus Wainwright fan: I love his voice, his theatricality, and the meandering, intricate quality of many of his songs. But I do not think this album belongs on this list. It’s fine, but just blah, compared to his other work, let alone to a body of great albums.

Not a huge fan of this sorta emotional music. Can appreciate that it's well made tho.

I imagine there are some people who do not find his vocals almost immediately annoying. And some of those people may even consider him their favorite artist. I’m not here to judge them.

Poor Rufus had to follow Chris Cornell. H e never stood a chance here. When you follow one of the greatest, you better be decent. Rufus wasn't. He wanted 2 and he'll get it. Would be lower if it wasn't Christmas time. 2

2 Thom Yorke does piano music. There, that’s the review. I would call it pretentious and overblown as well, but I feel like that spirit is captured in “Thom Yorke”. Ok, no, that’s not the whole review - for as much shit as I talk, I can’t help being a little pretentious and overblown myself. I really only know Rufus Wainwright for his cover of Hallelujah on the Shrek soundtrack (despite John Cale’s being the version featured in the actual film), and I’ve gotta say, it’s not bad, but it’s certainly not my favorite cover of the song. It’s a good take on a classic but a little lifeless in my opinion compared to Cohen’s and Buckley’s. This album feels like a departure from that sound in a lot of ways with its grandiose production and instrumentation, and yet, I still can’t help but feel a similar sense of lifelessness at its core. For as much as there is going on, it just never comes across as overly interesting, resulting in the whole experience blending together into some sort of pretentious, melodramatic, operatic blob - this feels like the kind of thing I would fall asleep to if I were seeing it live on Broadway. I can’t knock the production, but the songwriting just doesn’t do it for me and neither does Rufus’ voice. I know I’ve already made this point, but to call it identical to Thom Yorke’s really doesn’t feel like any sort of stretch of the imagination, right down its annoying whininess. I was hoping to at least appreciate Gay Messiah as some sort of criticism of Christianity but… I think he’s just hailing himself a Gay Messiah? The only song that feels like any sort of departure sonically from the rest of the album is the closing track, Old Whore’s Diet, but it’s too long, and at that point, you’re pretty checked out anyway. Overall, I have a hard time calling this album objectively bad, but it teeters between bland and insufferable for me, so I really can’t call it good either. However, if you’re more of a theatrical person than myself, I could see it being your thing.

The singing is great. The orchestration and production are top notch. It just doesn’t do anything for me.

Bizarre. It got a little tiring listening to the pouty whining. I saw that each song had an explicit warning, but heard relatively little profanity. Were the labels affixed because of openly gay longing and lust? Anyway, not my favorite.

Smugness disguised as Radiohead doing musical theatre.

We got Want One but did we want Want Two or was our lack of want mistaken for need? I find Want Two as a very dreary album, almost too dreary for me to listen to. I like The One You Love but otherwise these songs feel like outtakes from Want One. The last song about a whore's diet is actually pretty appalling, as it just becomes yelling by 3-4 individuals. I like Rufus Wainwright's music but I can be honest. Even if you want two Rufus Wainwright albums in this book, this one ain't the second one. Much like eating two slices of cake in one sitting, the first piece makes you think that you want more, but then the second piece is just too much for you to handle. That's Want Two. If Rufus wants a "Two," I'll be glad to oblige.

What’s up with this guy? Just a whole lot of hollering! Slow loud hollering. Who’s he yelling at?

Sounds like an attempt of classic music artist to create art-rock album. I like instrumental sound, I don’t like vocals. Way too long notes all over the place. Gives annoying feeling throughout the entire album. I enjoyed listening to the second song “The one you love” It felt like a torture starting from track No.6….endless terrible vocals, which sounded no any different song to song. Sorry, it is 2/5. I give 1 extra point for unusual musical accompaniments.

Second song is fire. Not sure about the rest. 2/5

Can't help but feel immense similarities to Radiohead on this record, as Rufus Wainwright sounds almost identical to Thom Yorke. 'Want Two', Wainwright's fourth album, is as much baroque pop as it is trippy alternative, but I couldn't help but forget I'm not listening to a Radiohead album at times. The mix is decent and Wainwright does have decent vocal chops, but if I wanted a Radiohead-like sound, I'd listen to Radiohead. Far too similar to Radiohead for my liking. Best songs: Nil

wanted to like this but found it very whiny and basic.

vocally a little like Thom Yorke, musically interesting, though a little slow in places

ehhh parts were good but not really my vibe

Quite good.

To slow and none of the songs are working for me.

Too whiney.

I’ve listened to (the reverend) Rugis Wainwright here and there but never sat down for a full album. It’s very much what I expected. He’s got that “Thom Yorke without the lazy eye” feel to the point that I think one of them ripped the bother off or they’re related somehow. I know that others have made this observation a million times but it really is uncanny. Content wise it’s sort of a very religiously inspired pop album. There’s a lot of choral and/or church music feel (the opening track the most of course) to this and the instrumentation choices are very western classical. It’s not bad and it’s a nice departure from more modern pop music. He can sing quite well and he’s got a weird way with words. The lyrics are strange and contain a lot of complaining but that’s not a bad thing. I can’t quite say why but I don’t really like this despite my objective platitudes. I would never say I’m in a mood to listen to this and it’s always going to be compared to Radiohead because of his voice. I’m not a huge fan of most singer songwriters because it’s all individualistic and necessarily gated to a style. This is no different.

Fine, nothing noteworthy

Fucking awful this. He may Want Two but he will be lucky not to get a 1. Whiny nonsense songs that kind of have a weird Victorian vibe. A struggle to get through. He just about scrapes the 2 he wanted.

Never bought any of his albums as I got the feeling from the reviews at the time that they were a bit too eclectic. After listening to the opening track then the second I thought I might have been right. However, everything after the opening track is the same. I got bored of listening to this. The only thing that peaked my interest every so often was forgetting I was listening to this and thinking ‘oh, is Thom Yorke on this track?’

Dette gir meg veldig lite. Altså det gir meg mye Radiohead vibes, men ikke på den gode måten; det får meg til å tenke at jeg heller vil høre på Radiohead. Rufus er en flink musiker som kan klimpre på piano og synge noter de fleste av oss bare kan drømme om. Men han er også extremt dull? Til tross for at det høres ut som om han både synger og spiller med pathos, høres det sterilt ut, som om han er en alien som prøver å simulere pathos ved å ha hørt på Radiohead. Jeg liker Rufus bedre når han simulerer Joanna Newsom (litt usikker på om det er henne eller noen andre dette minner meg om) på Hometown Waltz, men igjen, andre har gjort dette bedre. Jo lenger jeg hører på albumet, desto vanskeligere er det å ikke nevne Radiohead. This Love Affair er så sykt Life in a Glasshouse om Glasshouse var [et overdrevet høyt nummer] ganger dårligere. Men av en eller annen grunn vegrer jeg meg for å kalle det pastiche eller imitering, kanskje fordi det er kontemporært med hverandre? På Gay Messiah synes jeg han treffer noe.

Man må komme med litt mer før man begynner å synge på latin ass. Dette er klassisk musikk for folk som verken vet hva det er, eller liker klassisk musikk. Jeg tror dette kunne vært ganske fint hvis han var litt mer dristig i komposisjonene, plata var kortere, hvis han hadde uttalt ordene, åpnet munnen når han puster inn og hvis ikke alt var så jævlig komprimert og in-your-face hele tida. Nå blei det mye negativitet her, det er noe fine øyeblikk i denne skiva og, men pakka er dårlig og irriterende

The guy has a great voice but I'm just not sure when I would ever want to listen to this.

Tough, tough, listen. I can appreciate the album's artistry, just like when someone shows me a menu and says I should try the culinary masterpiece that is the acorn squash. I understand it is good, but there's no fucking way I'm eating it.

Not for me

• weird instrumental • aber irgendwie catchy und so tiefenentspannend

On Radioheadin kuuloista menoa, musiikillisesti ja vokaalisesti. Kyllä tätäkin kuunteli!

Nah

There's some really good technical stuff here but it just isn't very compelling at all

This is really not that bad but it absolutely reeks of pretension and not even in a good way. It feels like he really thought he was doing something but he definitely did not. A star deducted for self-importance.

I can't get real excited about Rufus either way

I want a more than two-star album. Sheesh.

So boring

Very theatrical, orchestral type pop/folk music. It can come off a little pretentious and extra with all the dramatic strings, pianos, vocals; but it’s different than most music out there, and sets its own vibe. Though, sometimes it feels like it tries too hard for what it is.

Better than Coldplay 2

Ugh, boring, not fun.

I don't have much to say. Yes, sounds a bit like Thom Yorke, yes it's obviously not as good as Radiohead.

Not my jam

It was not my favorite sound. Was not bad, just not for me.

This has no sounds on it that I care for.

This album is just plain weird. I really like the instrumentation and the lyrics and I don't know if it's just me, but does this guy sound a lot like Thom Yorke? Like truly, I honestly this was some weird Radiohead album or solo album by Thom Yorke under a pen name. I just confused the whole time listening to this. It just that droning vocals. That works for Radiohead but with that sort of music style, it just sounds too complex and convoluted if you know what I mean. Favorite Tracks: Peach Trees, The Art Teacher Rating: 2/5

I think I like this better than Want One, but my overall critique still applies. I like and dislike this the same ways I like and dislike Radiohead, even if this mostly better.

want two (stars)

This wasn’t very good