The Sea
Virgin ****

You could certainly call this a "difficult" second album – it can't have been easy for Bailey Rae to get back into the studio following the death of her husband, Jason Rae, in 2008. On The Sea, the 30-year-old singer makes the journey back from the darkness and finds her extraordinary voice once again, with help from a core band of musical friends. Once again the songs are tinged with r'n'b and jazz, but there's also a rough indie edge to them. Are You Here's softly scraping guitar is resonant of Jeff Buckley – but when Bailey Rae lets go of her reined-in emotions for the chorus, it's an almost joyful release. She also ups the emotional ante on I'd Do It All Again, Feels Like the First Timeand I'd Like to Call It Beauty.The title track makes for a soul- cleansing ending, though The Blackest Lilyand Paris Nights and New York Morningsprove she can still do light'n'funky. www.corinne baileyrae.net

Download tracks: Are You Here, Feels Like the First Time, The Blackest Lily, The Sea