AMG Review of Love EP

Andy Kellman
All Music Guide

Almost a year to the date, Corinne Bailey Rae follows The Sea with a covers EP. It’s a light stop-gap to hold fans over until Rae’s third album. Given the circumstances of The Sea, it’s all the more enjoyable to hear the singer indulge herself and have a little fun with a set of favorites. Some extra-noodly synthesizer work aside, Prince’s flirty 1979 single “I Wanna Be Your Lover” is played straight. “Low Red Moon” rocks a bit harder than the Belly original. Bob Marley's “Is This Love” gets a Southern-style, gospel-tinged makeover, while Paul McCartney & Wings' “My Love” gets a simple, stripped-down reading. A loose but quietly burning version of “Que Sera Sera” -- stretched out to 13 minutes -- comes from a 2010 performance at Washington, D.C.’s 9:30 Club and features some great vocal interplay between Rae and guitarist John McCallum.