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I like the new Corinne Bailey Rae CD a lot, but there’s something about it that makes it difficult to review. Everything about it, from the way it sounds to the way it is packaged, is extraordinarily retro. Even the flourishes suggest another era; the rhythm section is smooth, not punchy. Orchestration is the real deal, not some synthesized concoction. Given the state of contemporary singer/songwriter product, calling something ‘retro’ is meant as a compliment, and is reason enough for me to recommend this disk, but who exactly am I recommending it to? Judging from the marketplace as it now exists, there just doesn’t seem to be much room for singer/songwriters beyond Alicia Keys, so it is imperative that Rae’s label finds a niche that radio will nibble, and CD buyers will bite. With melodies like these, that ought to be fairly easy, but today’s music scene is baffling and extraordinarily frustrating, so I can’t help but wonder how a pretty and feathery light CD like this will fare.
Perhaps the best thing about “Corinne Bailey Rae” is its consistency. Each song flows with a light and easy charm that would have guaranteed hit status a few decades ago. If the year were 1972, this CD would have as many hits as Carole King’s “Tapestry” album. “Put Your Records On” could have been the summer theme of that year – even the subject of the title (records??) alludes to an earlier era. “Trouble Sleeping” is just the kind of song you’d have expected to hear on the radio between Marvin Gaye and Stevie Wonder. “’Till It Happens to You” adds a hint of Alicia Keys into the mix, and other tracks suggest the mellower side of Nelly Furtado, but the real influences here are Joan Armatrading and perhaps Roberta Flack. The production is flawless (remarkably, I can’t find a credit in the booklet), and the rhythm section is tastefully unobtrusive and yet supportive. In my opinion, this is the type of musicianship that deserves awards.
What could be wrong with a CD that has so much going for it? “Corinne Bailey Rae” is a comforting album, and I’m comforted to know that talented singer/songwriters can still get recording contracts. The songs are both charming and seductive, but they walk a fine line between the predefined demographics of today’s narrow-minded programming requirements. So will this excellent CD be able to find its audience? I guess it isn’t my job to figure out who will like it. My only responsibility is to let you know that it’s a damn good ‘record’, provided you are open minded and inclined toward the mellower sounds of the early ‘70s. Most amazingly, this CD is selling like hotcakes, so I guess that there is some hope for the music industry after all.
Grade: 
 
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