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Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae
Metascore
69 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 13 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 13
  2. Mixed: 6 out of 13
  3. Negative: 0 out of 13
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  1. Q Magazine
    80
    There's nothing fancy about her songs... but there is magic in the way she sings them. [Apr 2006, p.112]
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  2. Billboard
    80
    A debut recording as fine as this one deserves immediate attention.
  3. Amazon.com
    80
    Occasionally evokes the feeling of a '70s Bill Withers classic, while bringing inflections of Zero 7 and Alicia Keys to her grooves as well.
  4. Los Angeles Times
    75
    The tunes... are anything but heavy, blending pop-R&B, jazz, trip-hop and vintage disco flavors into sophisticated, sexy numbers with the lush tranquillity of Sade and the earthy polish of '70s-era Stevie Wonder. [4 Jun 2006]
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  5. Entertainment Weekly
    75
    It's extremely agreeable, a bit predictable, and occasionally irresistible. [23 Jun 2006, p.70]
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  6. Blender
    70
    Rae's music sticks in your mind like a pleasant scent you wish would linger. [Jun 2006, p.143]
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  7. All Music Guide
    70
    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.
  8. New Musical Express (NME)
    60
    If you don't mind the odd reflective moment, the odd luscious production value, then this has plenty to offer. [25 Mar 2006, p.37]
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  9. Rolling Stone
    60
    Corinne Bailey Rae is as pop-wise as it is overly gentle and one to grow on.
  10. Spin
    60
    When things are going right, she reverentially nods to the sumptuous aesthetic that defined Marvin Gaye's What's Going On; when her form slips, it's like Dido gone "groovy." [Jul 2006, p.82]
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  11. Slant Magazine
    60
    Rae's amiable competence marks her as a talent worth keeping tabs on, but the strength of Corinne Bailey Rae is fleeting, a triumph of mood over tangible substance.
  12. E! Online
    50
    Weighed down with bland lyrics and blander arrangements, it meanders off into chick-rock clichés and lazy easy-listening melodies.
  13. PopMatters
    50
    After such a promising start, Bailey Rae and her stable of producers simply lose momentum.
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User Reviews

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User Score
8.2 out of 10

Universal acclaim- based on 22 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 11 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 2 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. Chris
    9
    Nice to see someone making music with some care to it lasting. I'd like to see her improve the lyrics-- there are flashes of excellence, but then retreats to cliches. Still, in a world full or bragging rap abd screaming rock, this album is refreshing.… Full Review »
  2. CDub
    5
    The lushness and quirky uniqueness of Raes voice caught my attention upon my very first listen of "Put your record on". Unfortunately the goosebumps which populated my arms after this one listen, as they do every time I think I've made a new musical "discovery" for myself, were nowhere to be seen upon my initial listening of Corinne's full length. While it's few high points deliver some memorable (and infectiously hum-able) melodies, the majority of this album seems tailor made for the docile and inattentive ears of Gap shoppers and bank queuers everwhere. It is at no point is it offensive or irritating, nor is it rousing, inspiring, engaging or challenging.… Full Review »
  3. jennifer
    7
    This album is a beautiful wind down at the end of the day type CD. Corinne’s voice is soothing and the lyrics are thoughtful. Her sound is magical and her poetic stories are real. As a woman in her mid twenties, it speaks to my life at it has been and as it is now. She is a true British gem and I cannot wait to see what she turns out next.… Full Review »
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