For some reason, it’s often difficult for an artist to have success both in the States and overseas. Sure, the Eminems and Jay-Zs have near-universal appeal, but not everyone is so lucky. Kelis, whose success in the US could accurately described as modest, has a much larger following in Europe, for example.
One artist who’s done it big both stateside and otherwise, though, is Corinne Bailey Rae. The generally soft-spoken singer’s self-titled debut caused quite a stir in the UK before it made it over to the other side of the Atlantic. Her 2006 self-titled debut was a pleasant surprise, as Rae’s acoustic sound was a reprieve from the over-produced R&B that had become the order of the day. In addition, she showed herself to be a more capable and creative songwriter than the majority of her contemporaries, and Rae’s use of Folk elements in her music showed that this album was as personal as any to come out in recent years. This isn’t to say that Corinne Bailey Rae wasn’t without its flaws, as a few tracks could be identified as filler – mainly due to their overtly-glossy execution – but it was a more-than-promising start for the young artist.
Four years later, we come to The Sea, Corinne Bailey Rae’s second offering. The album comes on the heels of tragedy, as Rae’s husband, Jason Rae, died from a suspected drug overdose in 2008. As expected, this influences the album’s direction greatly. “Are You Here” starts the record off, and serves as an ode to her late husband. Undeniably, this is the most vulnerable Rae has ever sounded. With little more than an acoustic guitar and some drums, Corinne reveals to the listener her heartache; but more than an expression of sorrow, the track is a show of love. On “I’d Do It All Again,” [watch below] written after an argument between Rae and her husband (just two months before his death), she sings, “So weary, someone to love is bigger than your prides worth / Is bigger than the pain you got for it hurts,” showing that she harbors no regrets.
“Feels Like The First Time” highlights one of The Sea’s marked improvements over its predecessor – production. Silky piano keys and strings highlight the cut, while the aforementioned “I’d Do It All Again” smartly approaches its climax by introducing different instrumental elements along t he way. Well-placed touches like the organs on “The Blackest Lil” (on which Rae channels her inner ABBA) serve to show that this album is a much tighter musical effort than the first’s. Due to a much less crowded production team, as well as Rae’s maturation as an artist, this is a much more cohesive effort. The exception is “Paris Nights/New York Mornings,” which features a bit of the glitz and glam that weighed Rae’s first effort down.
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And what to say of Corinne Bailey Rae’s singing? Make no mistake, she possesses no such ridiculous five-octave range like a Mariah Carey, and she does not pretend to. Of course, she can dig deep (see: “I’d Do It All Again”), but her bread and butter is a sleepy, laid-back swoon. Rae’s warm, smooth delivery carries most of the album, and she works very well within it, often hitting timely and satisfying notes at unexpected moments. She also shows range when she decides to get sassy, like on “Paper Dolls,” and certainly when she uses personal tragedies to fuel her song.
Those interested in thematic analysis would have a field day with this album. The sea could be interpreted to appear as a flood of emotion; it could be taken to mean that Rae is washing herself of all her pain, and starting anew. That’s the exciting thing about this record: there are so many things to be taken from it. It appears that Corinne Bailey Rae interprets her theme in many ways as well, as she sings on her eponymous track, “The sea / The majestic sea / Breaks everything, crushes everything / Cleans everything, takes everything/From me.” However you interpret her meaning – whether you’re someone trying to overcome tragedy, someone trying to escape it, or just someone who enjoys quality music – Corinne Bailey Rae’s The Sea is one of this new decade’s must-own albums. It may not be quite as catchy as her debut, but it is a much smarter, ultimately more satisfying offering.
