Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea
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CD Details
Artist: Corinne Bailey RaeEdition: Music CD
Audio: English (Unknown)
CD Release Date: 2010-01-26
Music Label: Capitol
Soundtracks:
- Are You Here - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- I'd Do It All Again - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- Feels Like The First Time - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- The Blackest Lily - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- Closer - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- Love's On Its Way - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- I Would Like To Call It Beauty - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- 8. Paris Nights/ New York Mornings - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- Paper Dolls - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- Diving For Hearts - Rae, Corinne Bailey
- The Sea - Rae, Corinne Bailey
Music reviews of The Sea
Music Review: Powerful, profound, a complete work of art-- actually, four and a half stars
Rating: 4 Stars
Most fans of Corinne Bailey Rae probably already know about the "background" of this CD, but for those who don't, she recorded it while in the process of grieving for her late husband, Jason Bruce Rae, who died, suddenly, of an accidental drug overdose (he had been trying to quit). However (and I believe that this fact is crucially important for understanding and appreciating "The Sea" as an album), certain songs on the disc, such as "I'd Do It All Again," were actually written by Corinne before her husband died but not recorded until afterward-- which gives them, and the entire album itself, an even greater degree of poignancy and depth.
A few reviewers have commented that her vocal performances here sound as though she "is not trying." In my view (and personal experience with this disc), one must actually sit down and seriously listen-- carefully, attentively-- to the entire work, sometimes reading along with the lyrics (and I had to do all of these things more than once), in order to really "get" why Corinne chooses to sing exactly as she does in these songs. It is a deliberate choice on her part, and understood in context, it is extremely powerful.
The first song, "Are You Here?," is a good example. Corinne's vocals sound, alternately, spacey, numb, melancholic, and blissful, as she recalls her husband, almost as if he were still with her in this life-- because in a certain sense, for her, he *is* still with her. It's a dark, wounded, haunting song, on an album that, overall, is decidedly not a "party album."
However, the pensive mood of the disc does not at all mean that it is a "bad" piece of work (in terms of quality). On the contrary, for what Corinne seemingly intended "The Sea" to be, artistically, it is a stunning success-- in my opinion, a near-masterpiece. It really is a complete work of art, with soul, intelligence, and layers of meaning, in a way that is increasingly rare to find in contemporary popular music.
The album is also *not* a total submersion into melancholy, despite what some reviewers have stated. Catch the delicate balance of emotions captured on "Closer" or "Paris Nights/New York Mornings," in which Corinne sings with joyful vim and vigor, while still retaining an undercurrent of wistfulness and longing for the past. This is quite simply amazing work, both musically and vocally. Very few contemporary artists, in any genre of popular music, are writing and performing at Corinne's level, as shown on this disc.
Her new band, showcased here, performs (as does Corinne herself) with both musical skill and raw feeling. The emphasis here is on purity and authenticity of artistic expression, rather than scrubbed-clean, antiseptic performances which will fit in nicely with the interchangeable divas of the mainstream pop hit parade. Corinne is simply on a different poetic and aesthetic wavelength than most contemporary R&B/soul singers. She always has been on a different wavelength, but this album has made that fact more obviously clear-- and we, as listeners, are the richer for it.
I have listened to "The Sea" many, many times over the last few months. The songs resonate with me in a particularly personal way, as one who has experienced the sudden, unexpected deaths of family members and friends in my own life over the years. However, even apart from my personal "identification" of sorts with Corinne's grief, as heard expressed in these songs-- just purely on the level of art itself, "The Sea" is a formidable achievement. Again, complete albums, such as this one-- true, profound, artistic statements-- do not come along very often in this age of soundbites and surfaces.
Serious lovers of music should be grateful for what Corinne has given us here. I believe that in her own way, she has achieved, with this collection of songs, something just as powerful as Marvin Gaye did with "What's Going On," or John Lennon did with "Plastic Ono Band." To Corinne, I must say that this amateur music reviewer, fellow human being, and yes, thankful fan, salutes you for persevering through grief and pain to give us such a deep, life-affirming, and (I believe time will prove) enduring work. In the liner notes for the CD booklet, Corinne states, with hard-won understanding, that "God is a mystery and a healer." "The Sea," itself, could also be a form of healing for her and a source of enrichment for her listeners. May they be many. This album deserves wide and serious recognition. Four and one-half stars out of five.
Description of The Sea
Corinne Bailey Rae's new album, The Sea was co-produced by Bailey Rae with Steve Brown, and Steve Chrisanthou, who produced many of the songs on her debut album, which has sold four million copies worldwide. Bringing together a new band of musicians, Bailey Rae recorded the album mainly in Leeds and Manchester, England. Her voice, always an expressive and soulful instrument, resonates with a poignant and newfound depth on The Sea. Loss and grief are recurring themes yet a sense of beauty and wonder ultimately radiates from the album's dark corners.Pop CDs
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