Tuesday 04/04/06 Corinne Bailey Rae @ Shepherds Bush Empire, London

Musically famous for Gang of Four, Sisters of Mercy and more recently Kaiser Chiefs and iForward Russia! It’s hard to imagine Leeds as the birth place of the softly spoken Corinne Bailey Rae. Radiant in a delicate summer dress, as if to perfectly mirror her eponymous debut album, CBR initially seems shell shocked, addressing the crowd with “Thank you so much for coming down to watch us...I couldn’t believe that this got sold out”.

The night starts with ‘Call Me When You Get This”, a simple song that floats over and above the eclectic group of fans gathered to see the chart conqueror. Later, ‘Enchantment’ is incredibly affecting while ‘Breathless’ is delivered with a powerful soulful vibe which will draw comparisons with Gil Scott. It also serves to demonstrate how much Corinne is as much a part of the band as they are of her live set.

Thankfully, there's absolutely no ego on stage tonight, it’s all about the music with ‘Till It Happens To You’ summing up the underlying factors behind her lyrics... love, life, experience and honesty. Simple, sassy and shy it all looks so effortless. Later, her love of Led Zeppelin is showcased with a cover of ‘Since I’ve Been Loving You’ that fuses a slightly harder side of the sublime Ms Rae to her church choir days and to rapturous applause. But predictably and justifiably the climax of the night is reserved for ‘Like A Star’ and ‘Put Your Records On’. A voice that hits all the right notes, in all the right places.

Despite a lack of material, other than what’s on the debut, having the second fastest selling album of the year guarantees an encore, no matter how short; and the emotional ‘Choux Pastry Heart’ heralds her return to the stage. With a smile on her face and a glint in her eye the 26 year old Yorkshire lass then states that “This is definitely the last one because this is all the songs we know” before finishing on ‘All Seasons Change’. True, Corinne Bailey Rae may be considered the wrong side of MOR by many, but tonight she shines. Don't idly group her with James Blunt and the rest.

Photos by: Sharjo