English nightingales

Two new CDs from EMI. Both by English female artists are out in the market. Both are by "nightingales" who warble at the peak of their powers, giving due notice that their time has come. And yet, theirs are two very different approaches to their craft and delivery.

If one nightingale is the sassy, peacock-like embodiment of soulful warbling in a classy but discreet uptown bar; the other is that soot-encrusted nightingale with the voice of too many whiskey-soaked nights and life in empty boxcars. It’s that kind of dichotomy. And yet, I can’t help but keep going back to these CDs. One is the debut CD of Corinne Bailey Rae; the other is Beth Orton’s latest: Comfort of Strangers.

Corinne Bailey Rae – With a CD that debuted at No. 1 in the UK charts in only a little over two weeks, Corinne has been getting the kind of initial coverage and hype other artists and bands can only dream of. This kind of hype can also be detrimental (witness how people now downplay the Artic Monkeys after their winning the NME Band of the Year award). But Corinne does bring a unique singing voice and very capable composing skills "to the table." All the songs on her self-titled CD list her as songwriter or co-writer. And while there’s a brash confidence exhibited here, it’s more than made up by the consistent quality of the songs.

At first listen, one is struck by how Corinne sounds like a mellower Macy Gray, or a more soulful Nelly Furtado. Like A Star, the first track, is an excellent opener, and we are entranced by the molten honey of her voice. On the slow burn ballads, one is reminded of India Arie, or a funkier Anita Baker. I mention Anita, because there is an ‘80s feel to some of the songs. Breathless could easily be something Anita or Minnie Ripperton would have recorded if Corinne had been pure songwriter back then. I loved Trouble Sleeping, and the first single off the CD, Put Your Record On. Enchantment and Call Me When You Get This are two more standout tracks.

With someone in possession of as much advance notice as Corinne, one is always wary, almost ready to expect the divine and superlative, only to be disappointed by what one eventually hears. Corinne, to her credit, didn’t ask for the hype. A solid singer-songwriter, she is hostage to the promotional wheels that grind and have ignited the buzz surrounding her. While not about to turn the world on its head, the CD is definitely a genuine treat.

To find a first CD with as much polish and so many consistently-strong tracks is a feat in itself. Truth be told, I found several dud tracks on Norah Jones’ Grammy-winning CD. With Corinne, it was that much easier to just let the CD play on and on.

Beth Orton’s Comfort of Strangers. Taking on themes of religion, unrequited love, compassion in life and the search for the ethereal in the mundane, Orton’s new collection of songs is a breath of gritty, windswept, desert air. While I know that sounds a tad complicated, one listen will let you know exactly what I mean. There’s purity to her lyrics, a deceiving simplicity to her arrangements. But then, there’s that voice. It’s a voice that aches with heartbreak, of too many nicotine-laced nights with a whiskey in her hand. If I had to give a broken angel a voice, it would be Beth Orton’s.

Originally from England but having embraced the musical tradition of such legends as Woody Guthrie and Bob Dylan for this outing, Orton has produced a stellar example of what could be loosely termed "modern folk-country." Think of a female version of Bruce Springsteen’s Devils and Dust CD, and you come close to knowing what to expect in Comfort of Strangers. It’s almost as if one has to dust off the CD after each play.

The title track is the best example of her compositional skills, with a smoothness that glides and reminds one of a hoarse Sarah MacLachlan or Norah Jones. The first track, Worms, shows Norton’s tongue-in-cheek songwriting capabilities. Then, she explodes and shows her musical range with tracks reminiscent of Patti Smith, a female Lou Reed, or even Dust Bowl blues singers. This is the magic that’s uniquely Orton’s – and I’d love to be a fly on the wall when local artists like Kitchie Nadal or Cooky Chua listen to this CD for the first time.

In previous albums and collaborations, Orton had dabbled in electronica with such artists as William Orbit. With this CD, the musical dynamic is to emphasize the sparse, and that makes the intrusions by orchestra or woodwinds that much more striking. This one’s special, and for the ages.