European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - April 15, 2007, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 22 stars and stripes sunday april 5 2007 faces Britain Rae pop Success other goals by Ann Powers los Angeles times los Angeles people have been making assumptions about Corinne Bailey Rae since she was a child the 28yearold English Singer songwriter grew up in Leeds the oldest daughter of a father from the Caribbean and a Mother from Yorkshire i remember in Grade school a teacher was doing an Assembly on Bob Marley she said he called All the Black children out of the thought wed done something wrong and he said i need one of you to bring in a Bob Marley record he asked me does your dad have any i said no but my mum has she laughed my dad hates reggae Hes from St which is a really British Island with Vic Torian values he Doest have a Strong Caribbean accent he didst play Caribbean music in the House he was really into soul music collecting soul 45s Rae apparently inherited her fathers contradictory Gene As a teen she led a kind of double life Call it a double nightlife she was absorbed in the Leeds indie Rock scene fronting an Al female band Helen known for being raw and loud and indebted to Courtney love but after Helens shows Rae and her friends would Wally Angeles times Corinne Bailey Rae has been embraced by fans of Norah Jones and other purveyors of sophisticated music but she also goes her own Way i like writing things that Are sort of insistent she says sneak out in search of rhythm and blues we really didst fit in any where she said and i still sort of feel that appropriately for a woman who always has Felt like the Odd one out Rae is still a victim and beneficiary of mistaken identity her Capitol records debut with its Cream coloured cover and Chenille soft sound has been embraced by fans of Norah Jones and other purveyors of sophisticated easy Stening music but embedded within such Whis Pery ballads As Choux pastry heart and like a Star Are qualities that dont feel easy at All Raes warm voice also has an Edge when i was singing in Helen the style was to have a really unusual voice she said mentioning Kurt Robainas a vocal in fluence the order of the Day was to have emotion and passion and a recognizable style so at that time thais the Only direction i would have Felt comfortable going then later on i realized that if i wanted to Cut across All this guitar music id have to sing pretty loud in my Range so i developed a Way of doing it so i can speak the next Day you just learn things like that uptempo cuts including the definitively summery put your records on go in a Neo soul direction but even these More radio Friendly songs remain Pris Tine she likes to expose the Bones of her songs to keep them Uncal curated i Haven gone out of my Way at All to make the lyrics sound literary said Rae who on tour with John legend i want them to be close to my actual speaking voice i want the pattern of the singing to be conversational and not pull out a word and go a huh he she says letting Loose with a big vocal run you never do mat in life i dont want to extend the words to fit a Melody i want them to be chatty guess calling her lyrics chatty is the kind of unpretentious move that makes Rae endearing in per son but could damage her Star Aura talking about everything from her love of Toni Morrison to her marriage to saxophonist Jason Rae she projects Zero artistic arrogance or personal vanity Back when indie Rock was King and such normalcy was considered Cool now ifs often condemned As Dull the path Rae took in writing and recording her album Doest help her hipster credibility after years of toil with Helen and a band breakup that left her devastated she signed a publishing Deal and started working with professional songwriters including Rod Bowkett and Steve Chrisan thou who helped generate hits for pop Queens Christina Aguil Era and dido i Learned tons from working with other people she said but sometimes it want the most enjoyable experience id come Down on the train arid walk into a room with a Guy that Ive never met before and have Coffee and sit in a room with a guitar and go of lets write a song Rae is torn Between grassroots Bohemia ism and the Success thais come with her carefully crafted album she wants her next album to be More adventurous closer in spirit to works by Joanna news Dpi Beth Orton and Bjork genre defying artists she admires the main thing Rae knows and wants others to accept is that Shes at Only the beginning in just starting out in terms of re cording music id like to be Able to look Back after loads and loads of records and say 1 feel like Ive developed and that Ive written some Good songs Frankfurt Kiln Munchen Kaiserslautern Heidelberg Berlin Hamburg Glove Bax reference featuring maps of Germany and Italy showing filling stations that accept fuel coupons  Contact information the Road guide is available for free at vehicle registration offices cafes filing stations car care centers and shopping facilities throughout Germany pick yours up today Start stripes