Rufus Wainwright: All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu (* * *)

Much has been made of the simplicity and intimacy with which Rufus Wainwright approaches his latest album, All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu. A spare piano/voice style is the approach chosen here, and it’s sustained throughout the record’s 48 minutes, a welcome change in a career heretofore defined by artistic excess and drama. But whRufuile the minimalism of Wainwright’s sixth effort serves as an effective reminder of his considerable talent, most everything about the record is grandiose (down to that clumsy, lengthy title), revealing the man at his most stripped-down to be every bit the ambitious, flamboyant personality we’ve come to expect over the last 12 years. This isn't necessarily a bad thing—and it isn’t entirely unexpected, as Wainwright has long shown his love of opera and theater to be a core ingredient in his work—but All Days Are Nights feels overstuffed with ideas and ultimately overindulgent, even despite its spare aesthetic. This crowds the best material and hampers both the album’s accessibility and artistic value.(Continue Reading @ In Review Online)