Monday, June 26, 2006

Corinne Bailey Rae's debut album reviewed

Corinne Bailey Rae Corrine Bailey Rae



An impressive debut effort that hopefully hints to an even better sophomore release.


As if releasing a debut album wasn't hard enough, it seems to be even tougher for female singer/songwriters, particularly in the R&B segment. An already crowded field, this genre has more one-album wonders (not to mention the one-hit wonders) than I'd care to remember. So, once again, we have another seemingly talented artist by the name of Corinne Bailey Rae. An import from across the pond in England, she already has a  along  hit single with "Put Your Records On," which hovers somewhere around the top of my feelgood singles of the summer, so in that regard she also follows many who came before her. However, there is a sense of genuine quality to her sound, which makes her more along the lines of India.Arie than other artists who tend to rely more heavily on slick production. If "Put Your Records On" isn't enough evidence of that, there's also the gorgeous opener "Like a Star," and the breezy and equally intoxicating "Breathless." While some of Bailey Rae's tracks run the risk of being somewhat generic and almost too mellow for their own good, there is a ton of potential here. Her status as an artist is already starting to blossom here, and will probably only get better as her name gets out, and by the time she reaches the brink it should be about time for her second-release that will hopefully showcase an even more mature singer/songwriter.


Overall Rating: 79


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