Album: Rufus Wainwright, Out of the Game (Polydor)

Mark Ronson produces, which guarantees the levels of sympathy and lush texturing so essential to Rufus's songwriting style and also, no doubt, confers the required in-studio atmosphere of extra-specialness.

This is jouncey, mostly R&B-derived pop with a keen ear for what supports a melody. It's good. And while everything is aestheticised to the hilt, there's nothing actually wrong with treating a pop album as an art gallery.