Release the Stars finds Wainwright flitting between opposite poles-- lovestruck and glib, opulent and gimmicky, overblown and undercooked-- with rumpled uncertainty. To be fair, it doesn't take much to locate the source of his wanderings; unlike most new artists, Wainwright came out of the gate with an incredibly assured aesthetic. Both his 1998 self-titled debut and his 2001 follow-up Poses were remarkably developed records-- the former establishing his way with a wending, operatic arrangement; the latter proving his songs nicely amenable to tidy flourishes of 70s AOR. Since then, whether out of boredom, excitement, or desire for the mainstream acceptance he's so frequently pined for, Wainwright's expanded his sound, tempering his natural inclination towards opulence with different song styles and textures, always with mixed results.
It's a meaningless ramble. Either they like it but don't want to admit it, or they hate it and don't want to hurt any feelings. But come on: "lovestruck and glib, opulent and gimmicky, overblown and undercooked". Aren't those the opening lines from the Pitchfork Record Review Guide of Style?
P.S. It's a great record. Do yourself a favor.
