Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae Album Review

Corinne Bailey Rae
Corinne Bailey Rae
Album Review
EMI

Into a world of Joss Stones and KT Tunstalls leaps another pretty great voice singing inoffensive songs that are entirely listenable, but as deeply unsatisfying as they come. Comparisons are being made to Billie Holliday, which are very wide of the mark - while Rae's voice is a good soul voice, it isn't imbued with any of the depth of Holliday, instead coming over like Janet Jackson mixed with Mariah Carey. Which, if you like that kind of thing, is fine. Rae co-wrote all of the songs on the album, and none bears any quality hallmark - they pass by as pretty average-sounding soul songs with no real defining Corinne Bailey Rae-ness. So Leeds has an answer to Joss Stone, but this bears as much resemblance to real soul or blues as The Commitments did to Detroit R&B.

Rating 6/10

Mike Rea
Adult Contemporary Essentials