Corinne Bailey Rae CD (2006) (CD)

Despite the fact that English vocalist Corinne Bailey Raehas the name of a country artist, and got her start playing in a grunge-inspired hard rock band, her self-titled debut is heavily steeped in 1970s-style soul and singer-songwriter intimacy. Rae's girlish, sultry voice might remind some listeners of Macy Gray, while the subtle shadings and jazzy textures of her tunes may bring to mind Nora Jonesand Alicia Keys. Yet Rae, who wrote or co-wrote each of the album's 11 tracks and provides much of the album's instrumentation as well, brings a distinctive stamp to the neo-soul formula. Her songwriting is strikingly personal and well-crafted, and her singing, which can be as cool as a Lester Young saxophone solo (the lilting "Like a Star") or as soulful and swinging as Sly Stone (the breakthrough single "Put Your Records On"), sets her apart from the pack. Corinne Bailey Raeis a solid and very promising debut.