Thanks in part to his classical training and Judy Garland obsession, Rufus Wainwright has cultivated a sound completely his own: somewhere between baroque pop and high camp. The public may be pleasantly surprised with Out of the Game, a stylistic departure from the spectacle of sparkle. Mark Ronson, the producer who shepherded Adele and Amy Winehouse to commercial and critical success, lends his golden ears to Wainwright's seventh studio album. On songs like “Respectable Dive” and the title track, Wainwright exudes the languid vocal sophistication that his fans love him for. “Candles” is inspired by the true story of when he realized it was time to spiritually release his famous folk-singer mother, Kate McGarrigle, who died in 2010. Tortured, cerebral, and ultimately beautiful, Out of the Game is anything but what the title suggests.