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Martha Wainwright is trouble. She calls cheating boyfriends at 4 o'clock in the morning, gets insecure and jealous with very little provocation, and still believes, like the Eurythmics song she covers on this record, that love is a stranger. In other words, she's just like us. With its intricate country-rock and stark folk settings, I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too offers catchy tunes her devastating 2005 debut lacked, and Rufus's kid sister proves that her confrontational vulnerability -- spoofed by the album's title -- is actually one of her many assets.
"I've lost so many friends / I have gained so many memories," goes the chorus of "So Many Friends," a song that will set off bells of recognition in those who have survived the masochism and heartache of a nasty breakup. Rather than contribute to the enduring coffee shop trend of bland, background-friendly acoustic pop, Wainwright commands attention through the force of her uncommon ardor.
-- BARRY WALTERS
Ed. note: I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too is out today from Zoë/Rounder Records. You can buy it at iTunes or through her official site.
And because kick-ass female rock critics are even more rare than uncompromised albums by female artists actually making it to market, check out Ann Powers' excellent piece in today's Los Angeles Times about "oversharing."
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