Album Review
Megan Eidelbach
Sometimes music, and only music, has that miraculous power to heal.
UK born Corinne Bailey Rae is no average female musician, or rather any sort of average musician at all judging by all that she has accomplished in her career thus far. Born and raised in Leeds to a West Indian father and a Yorkshire mother, she studied classical violin early on only to find herself drawn deeper into a different type of musical passion: the harder rock of Led Zeppelin. At the tender age of 15 she became interested in bands with female leads, such as L7 and Bjork, and decided to form her own. She followed through and named it Helen.
In 2005, moved forward from being part of a band and now a solo musician, the multi-talented Rae became part of the “next big thing” polls in Europe, and only a year later her first album made triple platinum in the UK. In 2008, this Grammy nominee began work on her second album, recorded in Leeds and Manchester, and released in February 2010 under the name The Sea, with a very different purpose; with a quite special and private agenda.
Around this time in 2008, a terrible occurrence had happened: the death of her husband. This caused her to face the realities of being a widow and the memories and beauty inside their marriage. The death of a loved one, especially a significant other, is something that can be extremely hard to bear, but Corinne Bailey Rae turned her tortured heart into a tribute to her much-loved husband and made his soul into art.
This struck very close to my own heart because my own husband tragically died this very same year. Listening to The Sea over and over again after learning this provided a better understanding of her words and phrases. Deciphering the lyrics and the rhythms behind the music struck me deeply and lead me to believe that The Sea must have been an amazing healing process.
Rae mixes a combination of R&B, soul, jazz, alternative, and an almost easy listening sound with lyrics such as “When he comes around, there is nothing more to imagine” (‘Are You Here’). Her voice changing to a Bjork-ish pitch in “I’d Do It All Again” is simply a pleasure to listen to and makes your spine tingle knowing she believes in the beauty in having no regrets. “Like a Star” is a beautiful sweetly-voiced love song with smoother and softer rock tones. “Put Your Records On” reminds me of being youthful, of being free, of letting your hair down, and of just dancing all of your pain away. Because sometimes music, and only music, has that miraculous power to heal.
Corinne Bailey Rae’s The Sea is an excellent choice to add to your CD collection. I know it will definitely be added to mine.
In 2005, moved forward from being part of a band and now a solo musician, the multi-talented Rae became part of the “next big thing” polls in Europe, and only a year later her first album made triple platinum in the UK. In 2008, this Grammy nominee began work on her second album, recorded in Leeds and Manchester, and released in February 2010 under the name The Sea, with a very different purpose; with a quite special and private agenda.
Around this time in 2008, a terrible occurrence had happened: the death of her husband. This caused her to face the realities of being a widow and the memories and beauty inside their marriage. The death of a loved one, especially a significant other, is something that can be extremely hard to bear, but Corinne Bailey Rae turned her tortured heart into a tribute to her much-loved husband and made his soul into art.
This struck very close to my own heart because my own husband tragically died this very same year. Listening to The Sea over and over again after learning this provided a better understanding of her words and phrases. Deciphering the lyrics and the rhythms behind the music struck me deeply and lead me to believe that The Sea must have been an amazing healing process.
Rae mixes a combination of R&B, soul, jazz, alternative, and an almost easy listening sound with lyrics such as “When he comes around, there is nothing more to imagine” (‘Are You Here’). Her voice changing to a Bjork-ish pitch in “I’d Do It All Again” is simply a pleasure to listen to and makes your spine tingle knowing she believes in the beauty in having no regrets. “Like a Star” is a beautiful sweetly-voiced love song with smoother and softer rock tones. “Put Your Records On” reminds me of being youthful, of being free, of letting your hair down, and of just dancing all of your pain away. Because sometimes music, and only music, has that miraculous power to heal.
Corinne Bailey Rae’s The Sea is an excellent choice to add to your CD collection. I know it will definitely be added to mine.
80/100
