Don't Mess With My Corinne Bailey Rae

The New York Times featured a rather condescending review of Corinne Bailey Rae's concert at Webster Hall -- the one I raved about so you KNOW the NYT is wrong. It managed to be polite, while describing her as performing with "an unlikely confidence" and taking her to task for having a "refined" backstory.

Ms. Rae’s lush, slightly folky soul-pop does not offer any real lyrical insights or musical innovations, but that is the point: like Norah Jones and Sade, she is all about setting a pleasant, vaguely searching mood.

While some might dismiss Jones and Sade as aural wallpaper, the fact is that they are both hugely acclaimed. It's like dismissing a rocker by comparing him to Bruce Springsteen and John Mellencamp. Shouldn't you start by explaining why THEY'RE not any good? As a kicker, the reviewer says that for those who might still care about authenticity (personally, I just care about good music, however "authentic" or "fake" it might be) Rae writes "some of her own music." Actually, she only has one album and Rae wrote or cowrote every song on it. Thanks for implying she's a puppet and taking a dig at one of the most refreshing albums of the year. And frankly, her live performance makes clear Rae hasn't even scratched the surface of her talents. Yet.