The Sea

great album, great content, terrible production
I love this CD, from the first track all the way through. The emotion in it is so raw and hearbreaking, this is the making of great songwriting. But having said that, I think what a lot of people are complaining about without realizing it is ultimately the PRODUCTION of the CD. I have to look up words to pretty much every single song, as opposed to her first album, where I could clearly understand what she was saying. She may be singing quietly, but whoever mixed the album should've mic'ed and mixed her vocals accordingly. It sounds in a lot of the tracks like the entire high end was just removed completely, taking every silibant sound right along with it, and leaving her vocals as muddy background fodder when they should be front and center on such lovely arrangments. As a result it's a struggle to hear and understand her vocals on much of it, and that's SUCH A SHAME because of how truly great the content here is. I chose 3 stars, but that's an average really -- the songs are five stars, top notch, all the way, but this hideous, unflattering production....no so much. Whoever produced this should be exiled from the industry; I hope she finds a different studio/producers/engineers for future endeavors.

Strong Second Effort
Sometimes the second album from a person or group comes across as weaker than the debut, but I don't think that applies to "The Sea" by Corinne Bailey Rae. The album shows growth and exploration by a wonderful vocalist. It also has a very personal side to it after her husband's death. It is as if the listener is allowed in to view things from Rae's viewpoint, and this undoubtedly is one of the strengths of this album. Another strength of the album is the mixing of R&B and Jazz, with occasionally Rock, Gospel, and other elements as well. And always, the amazing vocals bring it all together in this unusual and wonderful mix. The album opens with the title track "Are You Here", a song in which she deals with the grief over the death of her husband. This is followed by "I'd Do It All Again", which according to Rae was written almost immediately after an argument with her husband, focusing on the idea that even at the worst point, she would choose to do it all again, i.e. make the same choices and live the same life. "Feels like the First Time" also displays this mix of emotions from loss and despair to hope. "The Blackest Lily" is a big step closer to rock, with a fast tempo, torrid lyrics, and a blistering guitar solo. "Closer" reverses direction back towards R&B and a slower and yet just as powerful erotic song. "Love's On Its Way" moves away from Rae's personal life to a comment on society, but still it is a personal song from her reaction to violence in society. "I Would Like To Call It Beauty" is a song which she co-wrote with her husband returns to the theme of grief and loss. Some may feel that "Paris Nights / New York Mornings" feels out of place on this album, both musically and lyrically, and yet somehow it and "Paper Dolls" work as a nice break from the deeply personal songs which dominate the album. "Paper Dolls" differs from both the dominant theme of the album, and from the more pop and upbeat "Paris Nights" which comes before, but as with its predecessor, I think it adds to the diversity of the album. "Diving for Hearts" returns to the theme of grief vs. hope which dominates the album. It leads well into the closing title song, "The Sea" is a beautiful ballad to close the album, again about loss though this time it is from a story about her grandfather's death. This is a very fine album, which I enjoy quite a bit. I suspect that some will find it uneven with some of the tracks not fitting with the overall theme, but I don't' see a problem with not having every song be about recovering from a personal loss and turning grief into hope. With this album the listener experiences to some extent the grief and the hope felt by Corinne Bailey Rae, and overall it leaves one with the feeling of hope for the future of Rae, both personally and professionally.

A little disappointed
This is the second album that I have puchased of Corrine Bailey Rae. This album is nothing like the last one. I was a little disappointed because the album sounds a little to much like pop music. She has such a soulful voice and I am bothered that she did not include much of her true self. Even so, it still sounds good.

Powerful, profound, a complete work of art-- actually, four and a half stars
Most fans of Corinne Bailey Rae probably already know about the "background" of this CD, but for those who don't, she recorded it while in the process of grieving for her late husband, Jason Bruce Rae, who died, suddenly, of an accidental drug overdose (he had been trying to quit). However (and I believe that this fact is crucially important for understanding and appreciating "The Sea" as an album), certain songs on the disc, such as "I'd Do It All Again," were actually written by Corinne before her husband died but not recorded until afterward-- which gives them, and the entire album itself, an even greater degree of poignancy and depth. A few reviewers have commented that her vocal performances here sound as though she "is not trying." In my view (and personal experience with this disc), one must actually sit down and seriously listen-- carefully, attentively-- to the entire work, sometimes reading along with the lyrics (and I had to do all of these things more than once), in order to really "get" why Corinne chooses to sing exactly as she does in these songs. It is a deliberate choice on her part, and understood in context, it is extremely powerful. The first song, "Are You Here?," is a good example. Corinne's vocals sound, alternately, spacey, numb, melancholic, and blissful, as she recalls her husband, almost as if he were still with her in this life-- because in a certain sense, for her, he *is* still with her. It's a dark, wounded, haunting song, on an album that, overall, is decidedly not a "party album." However, the pensive mood of the disc does not at all mean that it is a "bad" piece of work (in terms of quality). On the contrary, for what Corinne seemingly intended "The Sea" to be, artistically, it is a stunning success-- in my opinion, a near-masterpiece. It really is a complete work of art, with soul, intelligence, and layers of meaning, in a way that is increasingly rare to find in contemporary popular music. The album is also *not* a total submersion into melancholy, despite what some reviewers have stated. Catch the delicate balance of emotions captured on "Closer" or "Paris Nights/New York Mornings," in which Corinne sings with joyful vim and vigor, while still retaining an undercurrent of wistfulness and longing for the past. This is quite simply amazing work, both musically and vocally. Very few contemporary artists, in any genre of popular music, are writing and performing at Corinne's level, as shown on this disc. Her new band, showcased here, performs (as does Corinne herself) with both musical skill and raw feeling. The emphasis here is on purity and authenticity of artistic expression, rather than scrubbed-clean, antiseptic performances which will fit in nicely with the interchangeable divas of the mainstream pop hit parade. Corinne is simply on a different poetic and aesthetic wavelength than most contemporary R&B/soul singers. She always has been on a different wavelength, but this album has made that fact more obviously clear-- and we, as listeners, are the richer for it. I have listened to "The Sea" many, many times over the last few months. The songs resonate with me in a particularly personal way, as one who has experienced the sudden, unexpected deaths of family members and friends in my own life over the years. However, even apart from my personal "identification" of sorts with Corinne's grief, as heard expressed in these songs-- just purely on the level of art itself, "The Sea" is a formidable achievement. Again, complete albums, such as this one-- true, profound, artistic statements-- do not come along very often in this age of soundbites and surfaces. Serious lovers of music should be grateful for what Corinne has given us here. I believe that in her own way, she has achieved, with this collection of songs, something just as powerful as Marvin Gaye did with "What's Going On," or John Lennon did with "Plastic Ono Band." To Corinne, I must say that this amateur music reviewer, fellow human being, and yes, thankful fan, salutes you for persevering through grief and pain to give us such a deep, life-affirming, and (I believe time will prove) enduring work. In the liner notes for the CD booklet, Corinne states, with hard-won understanding, that "God is a mystery and a healer." "The Sea," itself, could also be a form of healing for her and a source of enrichment for her listeners. May they be many. This album deserves wide and serious recognition. Four and one-half stars out of five.

This CD Is a Keeper From Beginning to End
I love this CD from beginning to end. I immerse myself in the sound and feel of it on a daily basis. I have an extensive CD collection but in recent years I've found very few CDs that I need to purchase. I've been downloading individual songs rather than entire CDs because most artists seem to have just one or two good tracks on them. I loved Corinne's first CD, but I simply adore this new one. I play it continuously - no need to skip any tracks. My favorite song is "I Would Like to Call It Beauty." To the naysayers: listen and listen again - it just gets better and better.