Poses

To say Rufus Wainwright has a flair for the theatric is a gargantuan understatement. He vamps his way through his second album, Poses, like he’s the star of his very own Broadway show. Though Wainwright himself would probably admit his theatrics often cross the line into melodramatic schlock, his songwriting is good enough to bring him back time and again. He lovingly chronicles his vices on the lively, Cole Porter–style opener, “Cigarettes and Chocolate Milk,” and the title track is a gorgeous piano-and-strings tale of big-city seduction and corruption, infused with just the right amounts of humor and poignancy. On the atmospheric “Shadows,” Wainwright sounds like a cabaret version of Thom Yorke, crooning the mesmerizing line, “I could be a great star” over and over until it’s clear how morbidly depressing the sentiment is. Granted, Wainwright’s over-the-top sentimentality takes a little getting used to, but on Poses, your patience is duly rewarded.