Rufus Wainwright

Rufus Wainwright\'s 1998 debut presented the kind of artist who hadn\'t emerged on a major label since folks like Van Dyke Parks (who co-produced a couple of tracks here) and Harry Nilsson created quirky, complex, melodic pop masterpieces in the late \'60s. Informed by everything from classical music and jazz to Tin Pan Alley, singer/pianist Wainwright crafts a rarefied blend of pop song and art song, weaving beguiling tunes like the deceptively sunny \"April Fools,\" the Spanish-tinged \"Barcelona,\" and the wistful, yearning \"Sally Ann.\"