There's a huge amount of hype surrounding the US release of Corinne Bailey Rae [ tickets ]'s eponymous debut. The marketing push is also enormous, with such major players as Starbucks, VH1, Apple's iTunes and AOL rallying around this young songbird.

What's all the fuss about? Plenty. "Corinne Bailey Rae" is a stunningly good, incredibly mature debut that should make its author a major star in the US. She's already a headliner in the UK, where her album debuted at No. 1 on the charts back in March and has since sailed past the double-platinum mark.

The disc opens strong with "Like a Star," a breathy pop ballad that is as sweet as a lullaby, and continues to charm with soft R&B numbers like "Enchantment" and toe-tapping soul ditties like "Put Your Records On." Rae gets her groove on in a big way with "Trouble Sleeping" and "Call Me When You Get This," and then delivers a smoldering version of the sexy "Breathless."

Corinne Bailey Rae definitely deserves all the lofty comparisons she's been getting from both fans and journalists. There are times on this debut record when Rae sounds reminiscent of Norah Jones, Fiona Apple, Jill Scott and, maybe, a half-dozen other famous female vocalists. But, it should be noted, there are just as many times when she sounds like a vastly original and important new voice.