Rufus Wainwright - Folkocracy (2023)

A duets collection of folk song covers could be pure novelty, but Rufus Wainwright infuses this recording with so much thought and care, it feels essential. Wainwright's song choices aren't precious. There are plenty of traditionals, including a jazzy version of the bluegrass standard "Cotton Eyed Joe" that finds him melting like butter next to Chaka Khan's heat. And Brandi Carlile brings incredible earthiness to the high harmonies of "Down in the Willow Garden," a gruesome Appalachian murder ballad ("I drew a saber through her/ It was an awful sight/ I threw her in the river/ Then ran off in fright") previously recorded by Flatt & Scruggs (as "Rose Connelly") and the Everly Brothers. But there's also a delightful take on "Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming to the Canyon)," with Wainwright assembling his own version of the Mamas & the Papas—himself, Susanna Hoffs, Sheryl Crow, and Chris Stills (son of Stephen)—that captures all the charm and chamber-pop melancholy of the original (while making it clear that Hoffs and Crow should do more together). Stills and Andrew Bird contribute rich harmonies, as well as weepy violin from Bird, for Neil Young's "Harvest." Van Dyke Parks guests on accordion and spritely piano for his own "Black Gold," with Wainwright playfully leaping from note to note. And Wainwright even stages a theatrical reimagining of his own "Going to a Town." First released in 2007, the song is about giving up on the political division of America—written when gay marriage was being debated—and decamping to Berlin; it feels painfully relevant all over again in 2023, especially with trans artist Anohni silkily shadowing Wainwright. A warm and earthy John Legend joins in for a feather-light version of Peggy Seeger's "Heading for Home," while David Byrne shows up for Moondog's "High on a Rocky Ledge"; his and Wainwright's eccentricities are so different and yet so complementary. Make no mistake, Wainwright is the star of the show here, and does not shy away from the spotlight, with his inimitable vocal tone warming up each and every track. He even takes a couple of solo turns, including a cover of "Shenandoah," velvety with bell-piano, that showcase his remarkable ability to meld with the music: effortlessly alternating restraint, sustain, and full-throated power. And yes, he brings in his talented family, teaming with siblings Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche on a chilling version of the traditional lullaby "Hush Little Baby"; on "Wild Mountain Thyme" they’re joined by their aunt Anna McGarrigle and her daughter Lily Lanken, as well as Chaim Tannenbaum, a longtime musical collaborator of both of Wainwright's parents, Loudon Wainwright III and the late Kate McGarrigle. The harmonies are at once celestial, yet so human—vibrantly alive and warm with flesh and spirit.

TRACKLIST

1. Alone (feat. Madison Cunningham) (3:14)
2. Heading for Home (feat. John Legend) (4:22)
3. Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon) [feat. Susanna Hoffs, Chris Stills & Sheryl Crow] (3:42)
4. Down in the Willow Garden (feat. Brandi Carlile) (3:06)
5. Shenandoah (3:18)
6. Nacht und Träume (2:42)
7. Harvest (feat. Andrew Bird & Chris Stills) (3:03)
8. Going to a Town (feat. Anohni) (4:16)
9. High on a Rocky Ledge (feat. David Byrne) (4:25)
10. Kaulana Nā Pua (feat. Nicole Scherzinger) (3:37)
11. Hush Little Baby (feat. Martha Wainwright & Lucy Wainwright Roche) (3:54)
12. Black Gold (feat. Van Dyke Parks) (4:41)
13. Cotton Eyed Joe (feat. Chaka Khan) (3:16)
14. Arthur McBride (7:33)
15. Wild Mountain Thyme (feat. Anna McGarrigle, Chaim Tannenbaum, Lily Lanken, Lucy Wainwright Roche & Martha Wainwright) (5:46)