WERS 88.9 fm - Album Review: Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

February 24^th, 2010

On Corinne Bailey Rae's sophomore album, The Sea, the British born singer takes an unconventional route as she tackles the painful subject of loss. Rae first emerged on the music scene with her Grammy nominated 2007 self-titled debut, filled with dreamy jazz-pop songs about first love, butterflies, and warm summer days.

After a 3-year hiatus, spurred by the 2008 death of her husband, jazz musician, Jason Rae, Bailey's reemerged on her second album with a heavier, more world-weary sound, with lyrics that provide only a glimpse into her grief, yet never delving deep enough to seem indulgent or overly melancholy.

The Seais not a record about death or mourning, rather it documents the aftermath. It serves as a study in how one moves on and grows from such earth shattering loss. Rae rejects an excusably angry or gloomy sound and opts instead for a sober and reflective mood.

On the first single "I'd Do It All Again," she unabashedly praises the power of love, proving that her personal loss has not dimmed her spirit or faith.  She continues throughout the album to paint a portrait of healing beautifully framed by haunting guitar riffs, pulsating percussions and Rae's yielding, raspy crooning.

The Sea is the closing and title track on the album. She sings "the sea…crushes everything, cleans everything, takes everything from me." The track serves as Rae's farewell to the pain of her grieving, allowing the sea to wash over her sadness and usher in a new phase of life.

-Simone Tetteh