Martha Wainwright: I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too
On sophomore record, Wainwright sings her heart out—almost literally
Daughter of Loudon Wainwright III and Kate McGarrigle and sister to Rufus, Martha Wainwright possesses a spiky voice that can whisper one note and wail the next, moving from recriminating to comforting in the space of a measure. On “You Cheated Me,” a standout track from her new album, she vaults into her upper range for a chorus that’s catchy but accusatory, joyful but self-mocking. On “Tower Song,” she sings conspiratorially, over-enunciating even her oohs and aahs. These vocal swoops and swoons might seem melodramatic if the words behind them weren’t so frank, personable and bite-your-tongue funny, as Wainwright sings about being the other woman, posing spiritual questions and dealing with songwriting family members. If her tough-minded 2005 debut presented her as a scion to her family’s legacy, then I Know You’re Married But I’ve Got Feelings Too portrays Wainwright as a distinctive artist with a caustic sense of humor and a complicated family situation.