Corinne Bailey Rae - Black Rainbows

  by Nick Dent-Robinson

published: 5 / 12 / 2023

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Review

Back in 2006, Leeds singer Corinne Bailey-Rae cracked open the American market with her self-titled debut album, opening the way for further US successes for fellow British soul-based singers Amy Winehouse and Adele. In recent years the 44 year-old Bailey-Rae - whose background included classical violin-playing and some Yorkshire gospel-singing plus performing in the indie group, Helen - has branched into more rock-orientated material. On her new fourth album, ‘Black Rainbows’ she is even more adventurous. It is an ambitious concept album that took her seven years to make. The album's songs were inspired by artefacts assembled by American artist Theaster Gates and displayed at the Stoney Island Arts Bank, a museum of black history in Chicago. Bailey Rae revisits her indie rock roots on punk number ‘New York Transit Queen’ which celebrates 1950s beauty queen Audrey Smaltz. The title track is less accessible with improvised beats and a cacophony of loud honking horns - but, overall, ‘Black Rainbows’ is a joy to listen to. /Peach Velvet Sky’, which is based on the life of former slave Harriet Jacobs, is reminscent of Billie Holiday - and is probably the best track of the album. Corinne Bailey-Rae is a huge talent – and it is good that she is branching out with this new and exciting experimental album.

Track Listing:-

1 A Spell, A Prayer
2 Black Rainbows
3 Erasure
4 Earthlings
5 Red Horse
6 New York Transit Queen
7 He Will Follow You With His Eyes
8 Put It Down
9 Peach Velvet Sky
10 Before The Throne Of The Invisible God

Band Links:-

https://corinnebaileyrae.com
https://www.facebook.com/corinnebailey
https://twitter.com/CorinneBRae

Label Links:-

http://www.thirtytigers.com/
https://www.facebook.com/thirtytigers
https://twitter.com/thirtytigers
https://instagram.com/thirtytigers/
http://thirtytigers.tumblr.com/

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