Martha Wainwright : Martha Wainwright : Review : Rolling Stone

Part of Martha Wainwright's charm lies in her Tourette's-like impulse to overshare: Check out her 2005 ode to her singer-songwriter dad, Loudon, lovingly titled "Bloody Mother Fucking Asshole." Her folky second album mostly spares family members, but old boyfriends aren't so lucky. On the dusty-road rocker "Comin' Tonight," she seeks revenge on a musician/ex-lover: "I could steal a melody. . . . 'Cause you would never sue me, baby/It wouldn't look good." Wainwright's relentless self-analysis and beguiling voice — she sounds like a Muppet Baby — make for an oddly sweet psychodrama. She shifts from a breathy warble on "Hearts Club Band" to a voice-breaking howl on the Kate Bush-style gothic "In the Middle of the Night," then gambols off through a cover of Syd Barrett's schoolyard romp "See Emily Play." Supported by an A-list cast including brother Rufus, Pete Townshend and Steely Dan keyboardist Donald Fagen, she's collected some impressive endorsements. But they're just a backdrop to a riveting one-woman show.