All Days Are Nights: Songs for Lulu

A requiem album

Rufus Wainwright said that his sixth album is ‘mourning his mother while she was still alive’. This is an eerie work said the singer, and you could not have expected anything different. The man’s family was aware of his mother having cancer since 2006, yet the woman made it through until January 2010. In the meantime, everybody understood everything; and All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu was literally overloaded with sadness and the feeling of inevitable tragedy. Keith McGarrigle was a singer herself; and should she be able to hear this work, she would certainly choose it the best dedication to her memory. There is no doubt, Rufus delivered a very singular album, so much different from everything the artist had done before. He actually ignored that massive instrumental accompaniment that once amounted up to seventy people. This time, we, apart from Rufus’s voice, can hear only the sounds of piano. Probably, this is how the singer wanted to convey the sensation of loneliness he has found himself in now that a persona so intimate to him is dead.

Rufus Wainwright’s most personal album

As it was said before, All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu is a work that is based on the interaction of piano and vocals, which makes the listener focus even closer on what the singer is singing. This has the right reason because this CD proves very personal, at least, most personal of all studio effort Rufus has ever released. It starts with Who Are You New York, a deeply atmospheric song. Just like Rufus humself, you start out for a mysterious journey. Martha is a composition about what has been bothering the singer’s heart for quite a while now. He shares his concerns about the wounded relationships with his sister. Rufus’s voice reaches the peak of its convincing strength at most dramatic, climatic moments. In this song, this is when he is calling out to his sister asking her to talk to him. Of an even darker nature is Sad With What I Have. Then, the emotional load is weakened as Rufus goes to far into classic literature. In fact, references to Shakespeare are what can make an album even more fascinating. However, as many as three songs are inspired by sonnets, pure overkill. Nonetheless, the album closing track is just a very impressive thing. Zebulon is a song written to honor the singer’s mother, the saddest performance with the most proficient lyrics on the CD.

Might be the singer’s best effort so far

From to time, we see that tragic events that tale place in lives of celebrated artists inspire them to produce standout works of art. Their music is the best channel to unleash the deepest feelings and emotions that are overwhelming musicians. Rufus Wainwright’s sixth album bears the seal of infinite lamentation over the singer’s mother. Her presence fills every track of All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu. It sounds as if Rufus is seeking the dead woman’s ghost to tell her what he failed to tell when she was alive. That’s an amazingly touching work with everything in right place. Only fragments you need and cherish here are the perfect piano play and vocals. A combination like that lets each word sound most possibly distinct and reach out for the hearts of those listening to it. Rufus is known for delivering extremely various works. At different times in his career, his records belonged to different genres; and there is no one common idea about his best album. It is possible that All Days Are Nights: Songs For Lulu will become your favorite CD from this splendid performer.