Rufus Wainwright is at the peak of his powers on Unfollow The Rules

RUFUS WAINWRIGHT — UNFOLLOW THE RULES

“I was going round from the town to the country, then going back round from the country back to the town” — the opening lines of Unfollow The Rules suggest Rufus Wainwright’s lockdown has been less restricting than most.

The track, a riot of strings, piano and pedal steel guitar, sets out his bold manifesto for his ninth studio album — recorded in LA 21 years after his debut and with some of the same musicians — to herald the second act of his career.

F Scott Fitzgerald wrote there are no second acts in American lives, but Wainwright says Frank Sinatra, Leonard Cohen and Paul Simon produced their finest work when they hit their 40s, and, now he is at that age himself, he’s aiming to do the same.

First single Damsel In Distress, all strings, woodwind and references to Chelsea skies, is a homage to Joni Mitchell and Laurel Canyon, where he now lives, and the classic 70s LA sound, while the title track is a piano-led ballad, Wainwright singing “don’t give me what I want, just give me what I’m needing”.

You Ain’t Big “unless you’re big in Alabama, don’t know who you are unless you made it in Wichita” seems a jauntily knowing self-jibe at a singer perhaps more popular in New York and LA, while on Romantical Man he’s “got a feeling London is calling me” and is “thinking of you up on Belsize Park”.

The titles of the final three tracks, Early Morning Madness, another ballad, Hatred (“devils and angels, I’m gonna get myself away”) and Alone Time, hint at the darker times before he became a contented family man.

Despite its title, Wainwright isn’t breaking the rules here, with all 12 tracks following a conventional structure, but he’s as good a songwriter as is working right now and at the peak of his powers, and this is the album we need right now. (Review by Matthew George) 9/10

THE STREETS — NONE OF US ARE GETTING OUT OF THIS ALIVE

Mike Skinner hasn’t exactly been keeping quiet since he officially reformed the Streets for a greatest hits tour in 2018. In fact, given the dizzying number of singles he’s released since then you could easily forget he’d ever been away. Nonetheless, None Of Us Are Getting Out Of This Life Alive marks the first full-length Streets record since 2011, and fans will be pleased to know it also marks a significant upturn in quality from some of the more recent releases.

Officially a “mixtape”, it features 12 tracks with a diverse cast of collaborators. It is, by its nature, pretty scrappy but that all adds to its playful charm. Lead single Call My Phone Thinking I’m Doing Nothing Better, recorded with Aussie psych-rockers Tame Impala, is as catchy as anything Skinner has written since When You Wasn’t Famous, but the starring moment really come from the lesser known cameos.

The Brummie-cum-Londoner has always championed urban talent and often the record is a showcase for them rather than him. Among the highlights are Donae’o and Greentea Peng on the dubby I Wish You Loved You As Much As You Love Him and Jesse James Solomon, a south-east London poet-rapper in some ways made in Skinner’s image, whose collab on I Know Something You Did is perhaps the pick of the bunch.

(Review by Stephen Jones) 6/10

DMA’S — THE GLOW

The Aussie Britpop-esque trio are back with their third album, The Glow. Known for their appreciation of The La’s, Cast and all the big 90s bands, DMA’s have long crafted a soundtrack to the lives of many working-class millennials, this generation’s answer to the spirit of Oasis.

They harness the perfect blend of bounce and swagger with an all-encompassing air of restrained softness and authenticity. They’re youthful, they’re vibrant and unlike a lot of Indie alt-bands, they’re never going to be middle of the road.

There’s something to be said about artists who become well-established enough that by the time their third album swings around, they’re free to experiment and shed the chains that bind them, something that comes across in The Glow, a genre-blurring

piece of art.

The band’s musicality goes on a tentative adventure into pastures new, experimenting with more techno sounds, orchestral instruments and hip hop beats, while still packing as much of a punch as their earlier LPs.

The one thing that stays true to form though, is Tommy O’Dell’s uncanny knack of carrying a whole lot of sincerity throughout the lyrics, yearning and questioning, adding a genuine sweetness, a little vulnerability and romance that was only slightly prevalent before.

You only have to listen to the true masterpiece that is Silver, to realise that DMA’s are more than a one-dimensional band, and that overtly masculinity doesn’t necessarily make you a man. (Review by Sophie Goodall) 8/10

KATHERINE JENKINS — CINEMA PARADISO

There are few surprises on Cinema Paradiso. In fact, the greatest surprise is that it took Katherine Jenkins so long to record an entire album of songs from the glittering world of film.

The Welsh mezzo-soprano and bona-fide national treasure’s 14th studio effort features an array of favourites and its CD is certain to become a best-seller among middle-aged mothers.

Singin’ In The Rain features, as does Moon River from Breakfast At Tiffany’s and the theme from Schindler’s List. There are also curveballs, if you can call them that. These come in the form of May It Be from Lord Of The Rings and I’ll Never Love Again from 2018’s A Star Is Born, where Jenkins channels, rather convincingly, Lady Gaga’s heart-broken Hollywood diva.

It’s a fun ride, one that feels familiar both because of Jenkins’ omnipresence in popular culture and her songs’ cultural clout. Jenkins’ voice is of course beautiful and she attacks each composition with gusto.

For the casual listener hoping for a dose of nostalgia, packaged neatly by one of contemporary music’s most recognisable voices, this is as good as you’ll get. (Review by Alex Green) 6/10

ADELINE — INTERIMES

Perhaps best known as the lead vocalist in Brooklyn nu-disco outfit Escort, French-Caribbean singer, bassist and songwriter Adeline has struck out on her own in recent years. She’s played bass in CeeLo Green’s band and in 2018 released a debut album, which became a dance floor favourite if not a commercial success.

Interimes, her follow-up EP, is less glitzy than its predecessor, eschewing disco in favour of funk and raw neo-soul. There are hints of Erykah Badu and Controversy-era Prince but a tough, sometimes deliberately messy production gives it a sensual bite.

Each of Interimes seven songs, each representing a different time of day, captures a distinct emotional mood, and vary from driving funk to tripped-out jam. And yes, there’s a cover of Black Sabbath’s Planet Caravan which contorts the original into something gorgeously trip-hop, drenched in reverb and shimmering vocals. (Review by Alex Green) 7/10.