D.I.V.O.R.C.E.

So while your brain dimly registers the course the melody would normally take, Wainwright flexes her voicebox so as to introduce additional syllables and pitches. When this becomes distracting, and it does pretty quickly, the listener is lifted out the moment in order to be battered with a display of technical skill.

Of course, this could be exactly what you’re looking for, and maybe I’m obscuring my own point in trying to objectify what is essentially a gut – or head, or heart – reaction. There’s nothing explicitly wrong in guiding a chorus off the melodic track, or adding twists of uncertainty to a rhythm.

However, when dealing with the type of confessional songwriting that Wainwright specialises in, failing to bridge the gap between performer and listener means there’s the risk of solidifying that barrier of disconnect, and it’s something that Wainwright fails to knock down.

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You can hear clips from the album at www.Iknowyouremarried.com, where you can also download Jesus and Mary for free.