Melodic poppy neo-soul is a genre that rarely falls flat on its face, yet really needs to excel
in at least one aspect to set itself apart. Corinne Bailey Rae's debut floats along meeting a
high standard, but never exceeds it. Her voice is wonderful, if a little one-dimensional in it's
use throughout the album. The instrumentals are mellow and groovy, but never have that wow
moment. I'll actually suggest the hit singles sell the album short - 'Like a Star' is tame and
unremarkable, and whilst 'Put Your Records On' is a wonderful track on it's own, it's far hookier
and chart-ready than the tracks around it, being unrepresentative of the surrounding slower
ballads. There are some obvious highlights, 'Enchantment' and 'Trouble Sleeping' especially are
fantastic, but there also a few moments especially towards the back end of the album that slip
into average filler material. Overall, it's nothing to shout about, but not to be sniffed at.
68/100
Highlights: Enchantment, Trouble Sleeping, Call Me When You Get This
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