Bold and experimental, this album breaks boundaries and transgresses genre, exploring themes of black femininity.
This eclectic new record marks Corinne Bailey Rae’s big comeback for her fourth studio album. After becoming a household name in 2006 following her breakthrough song ‘put your records on’, Bailey Rae transgresses genre with her new album ‘Black Rainbows’. Taking a stark turn from her classic soulful style, this album takes inspiration from a variety of genres, providing listeners with a unique listening experience. According to Bailey Rae, this album was influenced by her visit to Stony Island Arts Bank in Chicago, where objects and artworks relating to black history inspired her to write this album.
Giving us a sneak preview of what was to come, Bailey Rae released two new featured tracks featured ahead of the album: ‘Peach Velvet Sky’ and ‘New York Transit Queen’. From the get-go these two songs gave listeners a glimpse into what is an album of great variety.
The album itself starts with the track ‘A Spell, A Prayer’. It’s somewhat otherworldly start sets the tone of the album; gradually building, the opener generates anticipation for the rest of the album. The title track of the album ‘black rainbows’ acts as an interlude; musically experimental with layered beats and synths and flights of jazzy melody.
Loud and unapologetic both lyrically and musically, the third track on the album ‘erasure’, screams about the hard-hitting inspiration behind this album. The track explores the issue of the “erasure” of black childhood. Bailey Rae does not shy away from representing the brutality of racism. The lyrics do not attempt to conceal harsh historical truths behind poeticism, but rather hit the listeners with the true brutality of racism in America.
Track four ‘Earthlings’ follows perfectly on from ‘Erasure’. It is more reminiscent of Bailey Rae’s soulful style of old, combining her trademark soulful voice and jazzy guitar with an experimental edge with synths and electronic beats giving it an otherworldly feel. In the lyrics, Bailey Rae seems to suggest that we have lost who we are: “Don’t you know, earthings you could start again?”. This track flows perfectly from the previously hard-hitting ‘Erasure’ which ended with a sense of hopelessness. The song beautifully combines a sense of lost humanity with the synths fading into bird song at the end of the track, reminding the listener of earth’s purity.
The album’s lead single ‘New York Transit Queen’ is a stark move away from Bailey Rae’s typical acoustic, soulful style. The album takes a grungy turn with this song and its catchy guitar riff. ‘Put it down’ is, for me, a standout track on this album. The song beautifully utilises Bailey Rae’s wistfully soulful voice but also captures the essence of what is so unique about this album as a whole: the sense of contrast.
‘He will follow with you with his eyes’ sees Bailey Rae reflect on the toxicity of the male gaze and once again adopt her signature soulful style. The song starts with an acceptance of change to fit into the societal confines of the male gaze but in the latter part of the song it takes a stark turn both musically and lyrically with disjointed electronic beats and a lyrical reflection on the toxicity of the male gaze.
The final track on the album ‘Before The Throne of The Invisible God’ follows the album’s overall experimental style. It takes musical inspiration from a variety of styles, adopting instruments from around the world. However, the track itself feels like a somewhat anti-climactic end to such a bold and varied album.
8/10
