Now Rufus Wainwright reviewed it for you

Rufus Wainwright stands at the heart of a songwriting dynasty, where folk roots, operatic ambition, and lyrical vulnerability converge. Before I ever unraveled the legacy of his parents—Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle—or felt the force of his sister Martha’s raw intensity, it was Rufus’s own voice that found me first. His soaring rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah” introduced a world where emotional grandeur meets quiet introspection. This is the Wainwright legacy: music as inheritance, reckoning, and revelation.

It’s no secret that Rufus Wainwright belongs to one of the most talented musical dynasties of our time, but my introduction to Rufus came before I truly grasped the deep-rooted legacy he carries forward. I discovered his music before I ever genuinely dove into the songs of his father, Loudon Wainwright III, his mother, Kate McGarrigle, or his sisters, Martha and Lucy Wainwright. Like so many, I first heard Rufus through his hauntingly beautiful cover of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” a track that showcased his operatic range and deep emotional resonance.

Though Rufus’s unique style captivated me, it wasn’t long before I began to uncover the layers of his family’s influence, starting with his father, Loudon. As a folk artist, Loudon Wainwright III forged his own path, known for his wry humor, poignant lyrics, and folk-rock sound that rose to prominence in the 1970s. His songs, often autobiographical, spanned topics from parenthood to politics, but it’s his deeply personal explorations of family life and emotional vulnerability that make his work resonate. Tracks like Father and Son, with its tender and raw exploration of fatherhood, revealed Loudon’s willingness to delve into his family dynamics, even when it meant airing his own mistakes and regrets.

Two of Loudon’s best solo tracks, Millbrook and Barcelona, stand out for their emotional depth and storytelling. Millbrook paints a serene, nostalgic portrait of the suburban dream, laced with melancholic undertones, while Barcelona offers something truly exceptional. The latter track, in particular, captures a sense of longing and wanderlust, as Loudon channels his experiences abroad, layering his signature dry wit with an aching vulnerability. It’s a song that sits at the intersection of personal reflection and the universal desire for connection—a testament to Loudon’s lyrical mastery.

As I delved deeper into Loudon’s catalog, I realized how integral family is to his music. His songs often reflect the complexity of his relationships with his children, including Rufus. There’s an undeniable tension in Loudon’s work, as he wrestles with the role of an artist and a father. Rufus, in turn, responded to his father’s music in ways that reveal their complicated relationship, notably in his own song “Dinner at Eight,” which offers a heart-wrenching reflection on the emotional chasm between them.

Martha Wainwright, Rufus’s sister, brings her own dynamic to this intricate family legacy. She has been more than just a sibling—she was a constant presence on Rufus’s early tracks, lending her voice as a backup vocalist in both studio recordings and live performances. Her raw, powerful vocals provided the perfect complement to Rufus’s more polished, operatic sound, adding a layer of texture to songs like “Go or Go Ahead” and “Hallelujah.” Martha’s own solo career has blossomed since then, and she has carved out her own place in the music world with deeply personal, emotionally charged songs. Yet, her early contributions to Rufus’s work show the undeniable bond they share—artistically and personally.

Rufus’s artistry can’t be separated from the influence of his family. His songs reflect the literary depth of his mother, Kate McGarrigle, a revered folk artist, and the folk traditions carried by both his parents. But what sets Rufus apart is how he blends these folk roots with his love for opera and pop, creating a genre-defying sound that feels both timeless and modern.

In many ways, exploring Rufus’s music is like unraveling a tapestry of family connections, shared histories, and emotional reckonings. Each family member brings something unique to the table, but together, they form a powerful legacy of songwriters who’ve mastered the art of turning personal experiences into universal truths. And at the center of it all is Rufus, the operatic torchbearer of the Wainwright-McGarrigle legacy, carving his own path while never forgetting where he came from.

“Millbrook”

The boys and girls of Millbrook are on a train from new york
Wearing new hats
Shooting the shit
Deep in the heart of duchess county bounty
And all the evening breakdowns will soon be washed from their hands
The next very day
As they make way
Eating the apple to the chapel holy
Don’t even try
They’ll get away with murder
Sure as the rain washes away
And brings thunder
Oh tell me can you see it?
The gentle tower rising
Over the pines, out of a book
Zion mistaken for the state of Millbrook

In My Arms stands out from this period (included below).  In My Arms is a great song by any metric.

Now we have Rufus Wainwright’s 2020 release, “Unfollow the Rules,” thanks again to New Yorker Magazine, Goings on about town coverage.  Remember that Rufus put in considerable effort honing his talent and following in Manhattan.  The New York period was creatively rich with opera and recreation of Judy Garland’s famed Carnegie Hall concert from 1974.

What to say about this new release, Unfollow the Rules?   This is not a review; we have only listened to one track.   This article is about how we got here. This article is about our relationship with the Artist known as Rufus Wainwright.  Our first hearing of Rufus was when Rufus covered Leonard Cohen’s Hallelujah before all the rest. Rufus introduced us to this multi-layered gospel song, written by a Jewish poet who practiced Zen Buddhism.