Two years after her husband's unfortunate death and four years after the release of her multi-platinum debut album, Corinne Bailey Rae has returned to the music scene with "The Sea". Many artists struggle with their second album especially if the first is a solid piece. However this is not the case with "The Sea", the album is stellar.

Listening to the tracks you can hear the maturity in the lyrics as Corinne writes and beautifully sings about love's joy and pain. Corinne stated before recording the album she listened to Curtis Mayfield and Nina Simone, this is evident . On the track ''Love's On Its Way'' she sings of social issues similar to that of Mayfield. And she does portray a style similar to Simone, there is some influence but definitely a Corinne Bailey Rae original.

Corinne covers all music genres with this album and covers them well. Tracks like ''I'd Do It All Again" and ''Are You Here'' are ballads that allow the listening audience to hear her beautiful voice at its best. ''Feels Like The First Time'' is a jazzy tune in which she sings about a current love that still feels like it did the ''first time''; this track is uptempo with heavy keyboards and Corinne's vocals compliment the melody very well. ''The Blackest Lily'' has a rock feel with strong guitar play as she describes how difficult it is resist love. ''Closer'' is a soulful tune, you will definitely hit repeat on this track, it is the hottest track on the album.

Memories of love, more than likely memories of her husband, are strongly felt on the track ''I Would Like To Call It Beauty". Corinne sings about their love and how the memories have carried her on. This track is heartfelt and you will feel her emotions with every lyric. The title track ''The Sea'' ends the album nicely as she sings over a melodic piano arrangement.

Corinne Bailey Rae shines on this album and although she has experienced the lost of a love, she does not forget what love is about and how one can move on and experience it all again.

SonicAmp Rating: 9/10