Rufus Wainwright has a flawless résumé: The son of singer/songwriters Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle, he was playing piano by age six and touring at thirteen, and he has enough pull to get people like virtuoso arranger Van Dyke Parks to help him with his debut album. Lucky bastard that he is, Wainwright has the talent to match his good fortune. On Rufus Wainwright, his incandescent pop songwriting, pianobased melodies and cool, brooding tenor combine on compositions that range from droll lounge ballads (the exquisitely pining "April Fools") to orchestral noir (the lurid carny stylings of "Matinee Idol"). Backed by drummer Jim Keltner, keyboardist Benmont Tench and a sexy string section, Wainwright distills his passion into whimsical visions of "bulls charging stoplights" and lovers "as helpless as the Elephant Man." If the songs on Rufus Wainwright remind you of old pop standards, it's because they're so damn classy. (RS 788)

NEVA CHONIN