It's a Wainwright family trait--turning life's ups and downs into blatant, emotional songs that air the singer/songwriter's dirty laundry without hesitation. Martha Wainwright [ tickets ]'s folk-musician parents, Kate McGarrigle and Loudon Wainwright III, both did it, crooning about affairs, their children, and other personal subjects the average person might not comfortably mention in conversation.Growing up around this type of candid behavior influenced Martha's own writing style, particularly apparent on her 2005 self-titled debut album, which includes the cut "Bloody Mother F---ing A--hole," an angry tribute to her and brother Rufus Wainwright's often-absent father.Her second album, the almost embarrassingly frank titled "I Know You're Married But I've Got Feelings Too," feels less woeful despite track names suggesting otherwise. The opening song, "Bleeding All Over You," showcases her signature soft and occasionally whiny voice as she wails about a doomed relationship with a married father, though not in a depressed way, while "You Cheated Me" could easily fit Top 40 airwaves with its poppy tempo and sing-along chorus. Wainwright hits the high notes on "The Tower," a slower track riddled with dramatic strings that create a theatrical sonic depth, which seems appropriate given the piece's anti-war sentiment. She also tackles the black cloud of death with "In the Middle of the Night," a gloomy ballad inspired by her mother's breast cancer scare.Like her debut effort, Wainwright's latest creation is made up of provocative subjects and forthright emotions, held together with her strong, feminine vocals and the help of several skilled musicians, including The Who's Pete Townshend, Steely Dan's Donald Fagen and The Band's Garth Hudson, as well as several family members. Her perspective, however, is what's different. Rather than play the victim and wallow in a load of depressing memories and reflections, Wainwright has turned a new, perhaps happier, leaf, still covering controversial topics but with a contented survivor attitude.
