Description

Picking up where Want One left off, Rufus Wainwright’s Want Two is a deeply introspective, sometimes kinky and often personally critical set of mini-operettas that ruminate on his various relationships, drug abuse, and image in the media. Metaphorically liturgical and often classical in sound, Want Two touches on such inner-related themes as love, loneliness, sin and sacrifice. It’s more focused than Want One and as such packs more of wallop both musically and emotionally. Musically, Wainwright has never seemed more in command of his muse. References to Nilsson, Brian Wilson and Randy Newman are a matter of course, but Wainwright’s growth as a pop craftsman with his own unique lyrical voice–both conceptually and literally–makes such comparisons unnecessary. To these ends, lush string orchestras, cheery choirs and piping horn sections decorate the impeccably scored album and perfectly complement Wainwright’s swooning vocals. Taken as a whole, Want One and Want Two work well together as a sprawling and ambitious double album that is camp, serious and utterly compelling. –Matt Collar, All Music Guide