Corinne Bailey Rae "The Sea" Reviewed by Hear/Say™, Buy it now

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Corinne Bailey Rae
The Sea

Campus Correspondent Review By Laura Cebula,
Belmont University

The late 2000s saw an explosion of talented English female vocalists. Joss Stone, Lily Allen and Amy Winehouse all made their way up the charts, all sounding similar, but all with their own style and soul. Part of this mix was Corinne Bailey Rae with her 2006 single “Put Your Records On.” Rae released her self-titled debut that same year and had not put out her follow-up, The Sea (Capitol Records), until 2010.

The Sea debuted at number #7 on the Billboard 200, selling over 50,000 copies the first week. This is surprising since Rae has been laying low since the tragic death of her husband, Jason Rae, in 2008. Her new album has overall fuller and more soulful, due to Rae moving away from just using her acoustic guitar and employing more instruments to create a larger, jazz-band sound.

“Are You Here,” the album’s opening track, is undoubtedly a song to her late husband. It does not serve as a strong beginning to the album, but does lay out the sorrowful yet hopeful tone for The Sea. “Closer” takes a more optimistic look at the status of Rae’s heart as she examines happier times set to a classic jazz beat.

Though not lyrically strong, “The Blackest Lily” sways like all the best R&B songs of the past. This seems to be the pattern for many of the album’s tracks: they are strong songs as a whole, but when each part is looked at, the listener is left unimpressed. Perhaps that, being able to combine mediocrity and creating a beautiful work of art, is the mark of a genius songwriter.