shop | mailing lists
musicOMH
music: track reviews
Corinne Bailey Rae - Trouble Sleeping (EMI)
UK release date: 29 May 2006
Corinne Bailey Rae - Trouble Sleeping

buy this title


buy music
So here is the new Corinne Bailey Rae single. Now don't tell me you haven't heard of her. She has been generating acres of press coverage, the kind of coverage that has been near universal in its praise and generous in assessment. The Leeds lass has been compared to the likes of Erykah Badu and the great Bille Holiday. If Corinne is the next Bille Holiday than Shayne Ward is the new Keith Richards. For heavens sake people, get a little perspective please.

Trouble Sleeping is pleasant enough, with a gentle summery drum track and hazy brass fills that drift past like pollen on the breeze - it's got summer hit stamped all over it. Yet it's more like Sade, with its little jazz tinges and sweet vocals, than the soul baring blast of Bille Holiday. I know the hype isn't the fault of Corinne herself but it's as wide of the mark as comparing Michelle MacManus to her namesake Declan MacManus aka Elvis Costello. Bille Holiday led a life from the wrong side of the tracks, drug and alcohol addictions, abusive partners, bad business deals. You could hear the pain and grief bleeding into her vocal performances. I don't wish that kind of life on Corinne as she seems a sweet girl. No one should be forced to suffer for sake of their art. Yet if Corinne Bailey Rae wants to rank along side her heroines then she needs to life a little more and taste the darkness of life.

This is diverting enough, but in the same way that a clever TV advert can be or an ice cream is on a summers day. It's so ordinary that its bound to leave one disappointed.

share
end of year feature
musicOMH's Top 50 Albums Of 2009
From the nearly 700 albums we reviewed this year, which did our writers love the most?
Introduction
50-41 | 40-31 | 30-21
20-11 | 10-4 | 1-3



"/

TOP ARTICLES NOW
ALBUMS OUT THIS WEEK: Laura Marling, Son Of Dave, Autechre, Mary J Blige, Robyn Hitchcock, Seabear, Daedelus, Mixtapes & Cellmates...

FEATURE: Galaxie 500

INTERVIEW: Jaga Jazzist talk prog

FEATURE: Glee: The Music

INTERVIEW: Editors' Tom Smith opens up

RELATED ARTICLES
INTERVIEW:
Corinne Bailey Rae

ALBUM:
Corinne Bailey Rae - The Sea

ALBUM:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Corinne Bailey Rae

GIG:
Corinne Bailey Rae @ Union Chapel, London

GIG:
Corinne Bailey Rae @ Shepherd's Bush Empire, London

TRACK:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Trouble Sleeping

VIDEO:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Like A Star

TRACK:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

TRACK:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Like A Star

VIDEO:
Corinne Bailey Rae - Put Your Records On

EXTERNAL LINKS
Corinne Bailey Rae



  more track reviews...


musicOMH
about us
contact
copyright
home
elsewhere
Twitter
Facebook
Last.fm
Soundcloud
MySpace
© 1999-2010 OMH