Drafted on to Later...With Jools Holland as a late replacement for Sinéad O’Connor last October, the 26-year-old Corinne Bailey Rae won ecstatic reviews. With a beatific smile on her face and a voice as warm and relaxing as a hot bath, she won deserved acclaim with a sublime rendition of her debut single, Like a Star.

Burt Bacharach, also a guest that day, expressed instant admiration. Squinting through rheumy eyes, he could probably see all the promise of a young Dionne Warwick, because Bailey Rae is just as natural. She also ticks all the right boxes: a mixed-race upbringing, singing in church and a stint in an indie band in her teens.

Bailey Rae is going to be huge but, in the absence of any kind of cautionary note, it’s necessary to say that the only thing about her that sounds too good to be true is her debut album. Pleasant, sweet and soothing, it is packed with lightweight, jazz-tinged soul designed to appeal to a mainstream audience. While the languid Enchantment employs some trip-hoppy beats, the other 11 tracks gainfully employ “real” instrumentation, yet

the arrangements rarely sparkle. Till it Happens to You has a nice bluesy feel but only Seasons comes close to hitting a groove.

A bank of writer-producers have also been brought in to buff up her songs, including Pam Sheyne, who had a hand in Genie in a Bottle, and John Beck and Steve Chrisanthou, who have worked with Charlotte Church. Tellingly, the only song without any outside interference is Like a Star. When she declares “I desire the simple things” on I’d Like To, you just wish that her label had listened.

The usual sweeping comparisons have been made for her, evoking everyone from Billie Holiday (hardly) and Erykah Badu (not earthy enough), but the truth is that Bailey Rae most recalls Sade. Given the millions of records that the latter shifted, her record company will hardly weep tears of anguish at the comparison. There is no doubt that this album is heading for the top, but a little perspective is necessary where the songs are concerned. I wonder if she thought to get Bacharach’s number?

To hear a Corinne Bailey Rae interview and songs, go to www.timesonline.co.uk/podcasts

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