Folkocracy

Son of folk-singers Loudon Wainwright and the late Kate McGarrigle, young Rufus can claim descent from ‘folkocracy’, although since his debut solo album a quarter of a century ago he has travelled a long way from those roots in a florid career that has ranged from operas to Judy Garland tributes. Here he returns to the music he heard in his cradle, with 14 reimagined folk and folk-rock classics. Needless to say, he puts a uniquely Rufus twist on trad ballads such as ‘Shenandoah’, singing them in an almost operatic style reminiscent of John Jacob Niles. He's also rounded up an impressive roster of guests and collaborators. ‘Wild Mountain Thyme’ is a family affair featuring his sisters, Martha Wainwright and Lucy Wainwright Roche, his aunt Anna McGarrigle and family friend Chaim Tannenbaum playing the banjo that once belonged to his mother. Other highlights include a duet with Brandi Carlile on ‘Down in the Willow Garden’, a gorgeous take on The Mamas & The Papas’ ‘Twelve-Thirty (Young Girls Are Coming To The Canyon)’ featuring Sheryl Crow and Susannah Hoffs and an extraordinary interpretation of Schubert's ‘Nacht und Träume’. Wainwright calls the album a ‘birthday present’ to himself – but actually, it's a gift to all of us.