Corinne Bailey Rae – ‘I’d Like To’ (EMI) Released 12/02/07

Whereas Lily Allen would rather down a pint of Stella, you get the impression summery songstress Corinne Bailey Rae much prefers to take a quaint sip from a champagne flute. Her music, like the drink, is refined, but laced with bubbles that make you shiver when you listen to it. ‘I’d Like To’ - which is the fourth single to be taken from her multi-million selling debut album - is no different. Although a song about cutting your jeans off to face the summer sun might sound a bit alien at the moment, think of it as a nice reminder of the season to come. The song’s soulful brass hooks are snappy but classy; the broken beat punishing and concise, and then there’s Corinne’s mischievous lyrics, “I’d like to put my finger on you.” If only it weren’t snowing outside.