Corinne Bailey Rae's fourth album draws deep inspiration from the archives of Stony Island Arts Bank, a gallery and community center on Chicago's South Side that houses art and artifacts regarding the Black experience in America—everything from the vinyl collection of legendary house music DJ Frankie Knuckles to "negrobilia" used to perpetuate offensive stereotypes. Among the objects she gravitated toward was the writing of Harriet Jacobs, whose 1861 autobiography, Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl, recalled a harrowing existence: Born into slavery in North Carolina, she escaped her owner's sexual abuse by pretending to run away and instead hiding for seven years in a crawl space in her free grandmother's house that was so small she couldn't stand up but which allowed her to occasionally watch her children and sew by the light from a tiny borehole. "I stitchеd myself into your heart/ I thread my needlе by sister North Star/ And I missed your quiet hands/ Their tiny weight," Bailey Rae sings on the lush, gorgeous "Peach Velvet Sky." She's accompanied only by piano, alternating between twinkling hope and the ominous allusion of heavy left-hand notes. "New York Transit Queen" is a thrilling surprise—the title chanted over handclaps before punk frenzy hits like a 5 train barreling into the station at full speed. It's a story of beauty and fierceness and triumph, gleaned from a photo of 1950s Miss New York Transit pageant winner Audrey Smaltz, who grew up to be a contributing editor at Vogue and manage fashion shows for big-name designers. "Erasure," meanwhile, is an aggressive garage-rock nugget, a fuzzed out Bailey Rae hollering, "They Typex'ed all the Black kids out of the picture/ So when they pictured that scene, they wouldn't be seen/ Baby girl in the front row, with the cornrows/ Smiling at the band/ They made a cartoon of you." It's about as far as you can imagine from the easy-listening charm of "Put Your Records On," and it's invigorating. She plays with psychedelic soul on sensual "Earthlines," which channels something adventurous but also a little dangerous, robotically promising over wild bloops and bleeps, "Don't you know, Earthlings/ You can start again." On "A Spell, A Prayer," Bailey Rae's caramel voice travels from a soft, soothing coo to a sort of banshee wail, the song's initial plainspoke rhythm matching her on its quest to a wilder place of jazz skronk and rock noise. Cantering "Red Horse" is Big Sky-expansive, and "He Will Follow You With His Eyes" summons an island breeze as Bailey Rae sings of "the promise of the potion that I buy … My black hair kinking/ My black skin gleaming." And the title track is joyous, glimmering and energetic with sax blare, like some soul sunbeam. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

The gap between The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, Corinne Bailey Rae's second and third albums, was over six years in duration. During the wait for full-length number three, Bailey Rae released The Love EP, a brief set of covers that featured a Grammy-winning update of Bob Marley's "Is This Love." She married Steve Brown, a keyboardist and producer who had been a factor in all of her releases for Capitol. Bailey Rae also shifted from that label to Virgin and worked on new recordings with a handful of old and new collaborators, including Brown and Steve Chrisanthou, as well as Paris and Amber Strother of the emergent King. The Heart Speaks in Whispers naturally doesn't pack the heavy emotional weight of The Sea, an album issued after the multi-instrumentalist tragically lost her then-partner Jason Rae. It's all spirited and lively. At their best, the wide-eyed folk-soul moments tend to evoke a contemporized version of fellow Englishwoman Linda Lewis, even on "Do You Ever Think of Me," assisted by songwriting demigod Valerie Simpson and, through references to "The Makings of You," Curtis Mayfield. The more electrified and groove-oriented material is bound to elicit parallels drawn to the likes of early Erykah Badu and, well, King. Each one of the Strother collaborations is stimulating, with lyrics and productions that complement one another. "Been to the Moon" swoops and slides, reflecting Bailey Rae's alternation between delighted and demanding exclamations. Its dazzling electro-soul gives way to a trumpet, saxophone, and flute coda that works far better than it should. "Horse Print Dress," more like purple paisley, is ecstatic, private, joyful synth-funk, while the dazed "Green Aphrodisiac" drifts along on a sinewy, unmistakable Marcus Miller bassline. Multiple allusions to working past bitterness and metaphorical storms help cast the album in a rejuvenating light. Despite all the likenesses that can be heard, it all comes out fresh, pieced together and transmitted in a way that no one but Bailey Rae -- a remarkable and flexible artist with some very real life experiences -- can approximate.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

When songstress Corinne Bailey Rae released her sashaying single "Put Your Records On" in her native U.K. it was a feel-good adult alternative phenomenon -- a kind of Norah Jones, Joss Stone, David Gray, or Macy Gray phenomenon. One listen to her breakout soft soul anthem and it's easy to hear why, since Rae is a mix of all the above but not a contrived one concocted by some major label's scientist. Her self-titled debut sounds a wee rushed and sometimes meanders its way into background music territory, but this comfortable effort is pleasingly homegrown, warm, and poignant in parts, especially when Rae doesn't weaken her strong lyrics with space-filling "doo de do do do"s and "mmmmmmm"s. So if she doesn't make an Alicia Keys-size splash with her debut, she's still a breath of fresh air, and hardly a one-hit wonder. It's risky to open an album with a lazy ballad, but the great "Like a Star" paints Rae as Billie Holiday's pop-influenced granddaughter. Mellowing Style Council or Brand New Heavies fans should dig "Trouble Sleeping," while "Butterfly" beautifully captures the full range of emotions that come with leaving the nest. The well-written and direct "Butterfly" suggests Rae could release a more accomplished full-length someday, but attention to "feel" often seems like the driving force in this album's creation. Adjust your expectations accordingly and Rae's languid debut is very rewarding.© David Jeffries /TiVo

Almost a year to the date, Corinne Bailey Rae follows The Sea with a covers EP. It’s a light stop-gap to hold fans over until Rae’s third album. Given the circumstances of The Sea, it’s all the more enjoyable to hear the singer indulge herself and have a little fun with a set of favorites. Some extra-noodly synthesizer work aside, Prince’s flirty 1979 single “I Wanna Be Your Lover” is played straight. “Low Red Moon” rocks a bit harder than the Belly original. Bob Marley's “Is This Love” gets a Southern-style, gospel-tinged makeover, while Paul McCartney & Wings' “My Love” gets a simple, stripped-down reading. A loose but quietly burning version of “Que Sera Sera” -- stretched out to 13 minutes -- comes from a 2010 performance at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club and features some great vocal interplay between Rae and guitarist John McCallum.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

Corinne Bailey Rae's star rose fast when her single "Put Your Records On" began speaking to the heart of so many in early 2006. Still, her self-titled debut album had "legs" and a year later casual music fans were still discovering and falling in love with her warm, smooth, and touching music. Giving the established fans something new without the hazard of confusing newcomers, Live in London & NY is a pleasurable live set that does more than placehold. It actually displays what a strong performer Rae is and flushes out her character a bit more than her shade-too-lazy debut. Two shows are presented -- London on the DVD and New York on the CD -- and they're different enough to be distinct, suggesting the singer pegs the feel of different audiences and venues like an artist in concert should. Perhaps her band is a little too stiff, sounding like hired hands that could be working for someone entirely different tomorrow. This is overcome by the always connectable main attraction and her enthusiasm for the material, plus some smart arrangements that expand and strengthen the songs. A fringe release but a strong one that complements her debut.© David Jeffries /TiVo

After selling four million copies of her debut album, an effort filled with her precious brand of neo-soul and the uplifting hit "Put Your Records On," singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae lost her husband Jason Rae suddenly and took two years off to grieve and recover before returning with her second effort, The Sea. On the album’s opener “Are You Here,” lyrics like “Wait till you see those eyes” and “He’ll kiss you make you feel sixteen” suggest she’s just fallen in love, but the fascinating idea behind The Sea is that it never explains itself, even if there’s a new richness in Rae’s soft and oh-so-tender voice that suggests something has changed deep inside. As such, the song’s “What’s it even mean?” question could be the beginning of a love affair or a tragedy, but the following “I’d Do It All Again” is even trickier, as post-argument lyrics written before her husband’s tragic loss (“You’re searching for something I know/Won’t make you happy”) take on new meaning . Further confusing the matter, throughout the album the singer speaks of her love in the present tense. Then there are the numbers that come from left field, like the slithering, funky “The Blackest Lilly,” which struts like a sexy Rolling Stones song while pulling inspiration from Philadelphia’s neo-soul party, the Black Lily. It comes to a moving end with the title track, a masterful piece that looks back through generations of loss and the majestic ocean of time that “Breaks everything/Crushes everything/Cleans everything.” If it all seems incongruous, so is the recovery process Rae must face, and the album’s cycle of mourning, returning to work, aching, fondly reminiscing, yearning, and then back again won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who has lost someone close. It doesn’t offer any answers, but The Sea is a testament to Rae’s artistic growth as it provides comfort to those left on the wistful side of eternal love, and insight to those who are not.© David Jeffries /TiVo

The gap between The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, Corinne Bailey Rae's second and third albums, was over six years in duration. During the wait for full-length number three, Bailey Rae released The Love EP, a brief set of covers that featured a Grammy-winning update of Bob Marley's "Is This Love." She married Steve Brown, a keyboardist and producer who had been a factor in all of her releases for Capitol. Bailey Rae also shifted from that label to Virgin and worked on new recordings with a handful of old and new collaborators, including Brown and Steve Chrisanthou, as well as Paris and Amber Strother of the emergent King. The Heart Speaks in Whispers naturally doesn't pack the heavy emotional weight of The Sea, an album issued after the multi-instrumentalist tragically lost her then-partner Jason Rae. It's all spirited and lively. At their best, the wide-eyed folk-soul moments tend to evoke a contemporized version of fellow Englishwoman Linda Lewis, even on "Do You Ever Think of Me," assisted by songwriting demigod Valerie Simpson and, through references to "The Makings of You," Curtis Mayfield. The more electrified and groove-oriented material is bound to elicit parallels drawn to the likes of early Erykah Badu and, well, King. Each one of the Strother collaborations is stimulating, with lyrics and productions that complement one another. "Been to the Moon" swoops and slides, reflecting Bailey Rae's alternation between delighted and demanding exclamations. Its dazzling electro-soul gives way to a trumpet, saxophone, and flute coda that works far better than it should. "Horse Print Dress," more like purple paisley, is ecstatic, private, joyful synth-funk, while the dazed "Green Aphrodisiac" drifts along on a sinewy, unmistakable Marcus Miller bassline. Multiple allusions to working past bitterness and metaphorical storms help cast the album in a rejuvenating light. Despite all the likenesses that can be heard, it all comes out fresh, pieced together and transmitted in a way that no one but Bailey Rae -- a remarkable and flexible artist with some very real life experiences -- can approximate.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

The gap between The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, Corinne Bailey Rae's second and third albums, was over six years in duration. During the wait for full-length number three, Bailey Rae released The Love EP, a brief set of covers that featured a Grammy-winning update of Bob Marley's "Is This Love." She married Steve Brown, a keyboardist and producer who had been a factor in all of her releases for Capitol. Bailey Rae also shifted from that label to Virgin and worked on new recordings with a handful of old and new collaborators, including Brown and Steve Chrisanthou, as well as Paris and Amber Strother of the emergent King. The Heart Speaks in Whispers naturally doesn't pack the heavy emotional weight of The Sea, an album issued after the multi-instrumentalist tragically lost her then-partner Jason Rae. It's all spirited and lively. At their best, the wide-eyed folk-soul moments tend to evoke a contemporized version of fellow Englishwoman Linda Lewis, even on "Do You Ever Think of Me," assisted by songwriting demigod Valerie Simpson and, through references to "The Makings of You," Curtis Mayfield. The more electrified and groove-oriented material is bound to elicit parallels drawn to the likes of early Erykah Badu and, well, King. Each one of the Strother collaborations is stimulating, with lyrics and productions that complement one another. "Been to the Moon" swoops and slides, reflecting Bailey Rae's alternation between delighted and demanding exclamations. Its dazzling electro-soul gives way to a trumpet, saxophone, and flute coda that works far better than it should. "Horse Print Dress," more like purple paisley, is ecstatic, private, joyful synth-funk, while the dazed "Green Aphrodisiac" drifts along on a sinewy, unmistakable Marcus Miller bassline. Multiple allusions to working past bitterness and metaphorical storms help cast the album in a rejuvenating light. Despite all the likenesses that can be heard, it all comes out fresh, pieced together and transmitted in a way that no one but Bailey Rae -- a remarkable and flexible artist with some very real life experiences -- can approximate.© Andy Kellman /TiVo

After selling four million copies of her debut album, an effort filled with her precious brand of neo-soul and the uplifting hit "Put Your Records On," singer/songwriter Corinne Bailey Rae lost her husband Jason Rae suddenly and took two years off to grieve and recover before returning with her second effort, The Sea. On the album’s opener “Are You Here,” lyrics like “Wait till you see those eyes” and “He’ll kiss you make you feel sixteen” suggest she’s just fallen in love, but the fascinating idea behind The Sea is that it never explains itself, even if there’s a new richness in Rae’s soft and oh-so-tender voice that suggests something has changed deep inside. As such, the song’s “What’s it even mean?” question could be the beginning of a love affair or a tragedy, but the following “I’d Do It All Again” is even trickier, as post-argument lyrics written before her husband’s tragic loss (“You’re searching for something I know/Won’t make you happy”) take on new meaning . Further confusing the matter, throughout the album the singer speaks of her love in the present tense. Then there are the numbers that come from left field, like the slithering, funky “The Blackest Lilly,” which struts like a sexy Rolling Stones song while pulling inspiration from Philadelphia’s neo-soul party, the Black Lily. It comes to a moving end with the title track, a masterful piece that looks back through generations of loss and the majestic ocean of time that “Breaks everything/Crushes everything/Cleans everything.” If it all seems incongruous, so is the recovery process Rae must face, and the album’s cycle of mourning, returning to work, aching, fondly reminiscing, yearning, and then back again won’t be unfamiliar to anyone who has lost someone close. It doesn’t offer any answers, but The Sea is a testament to Rae’s artistic growth as it provides comfort to those left on the wistful side of eternal love, and insight to those who are not.© David Jeffries /TiVo

The gap between The Sea and The Heart Speaks in Whispers, Corinne Bailey Rae's second and third albums, was over six years in duration. During the wait for full-length number three, Bailey Rae released The Love EP, a brief set of covers that featured a Grammy-winning update of Bob Marley's "Is This Love." She married Steve Brown, a keyboardist and producer who had been a factor in all of her releases for Capitol. Bailey Rae also shifted from that label to Virgin and worked on new recordings with a handful of old and new collaborators, including Brown and Steve Chrisanthou, as well as Paris and Amber Strother of the emergent King. The Heart Speaks in Whispers naturally doesn't pack the heavy emotional weight of The Sea, an album issued after the multi-instrumentalist tragically lost her then-partner Jason Rae. It's all spirited and lively. At their best, the wide-eyed folk-soul moments tend to evoke a contemporized version of fellow Englishwoman Linda Lewis, even on "Do You Ever Think of Me," assisted by songwriting demigod Valerie Simpson and, through references to "The Makings of You," Curtis Mayfield. The more electrified and groove-oriented material is bound to elicit parallels drawn to the likes of early Erykah Badu and, well, King. Each one of the Strother collaborations is stimulating, with lyrics and productions that complement one another. "Been to the Moon" swoops and slides, reflecting Bailey Rae's alternation between delighted and demanding exclamations. Its dazzling electro-soul gives way to a trumpet, saxophone, and flute coda that works far better than it should. "Horse Print Dress," more like purple paisley, is ecstatic, private, joyful synth-funk, while the dazed "Green Aphrodisiac" drifts along on a sinewy, unmistakable Marcus Miller bassline. Multiple allusions to working past bitterness and metaphorical storms help cast the album in a rejuvenating light. Despite all the likenesses that can be heard, it all comes out fresh, pieced together and transmitted in a way that no one but Bailey Rae -- a remarkable and flexible artist with some very real life experiences -- can approximate.© Andy Kellman /TiVo