West End powerhouse Rachel Tucker’s new album represents the singer’s own take on musical standards and pop classics across 13 well-chosen songs.
With the intention of making pop dramatic and musical theatre popular, this collection really showcases Tucker’s singing range and sense of style.
“He’s My Boy” (from Everybody’s Talking About Jamie) has emotional power, while “Whole of the Moon” (a much-loved Waterboys song) becomes contemporary and relevant in a new arrangement.
You’re Already Home … picks up on the sense of family, belonging and home. A favourite genre of Tucker’s, Americana, threads through the album, which feels fresh, exciting, and inventive.
Opening with the lively “Our Time” the album takes us on a journey. An understated version of Gene Pitney’s overwrought “I’m Gonna Be Strong” strips down the bombast and rediscovers the power of loss in the lyrics.
Elsewhere, My Fair Lady’s “Wouldn’t It Be Loverly” becomes a winsome ballad shorn of Cockney bravado, while Tucker rocks out in a storming cover of Free’s “All Right Now”.
This album is a grimy tale of survival mixed with a knowing maturity from an artist who is seeing life from her unique perspective. It gives new strength to songs originally performed by men in their twenties as they are repurposed with a female lens, alongside classic musical theatre pieces for women.
Rachel Tucker’s album You’re already home was launched on 1 Nov and is supported by a concert this Sunday at Cadogan Hall. You can also see Tucker in the reinagined production of Sunset Boulevard at the Savoy every Monday.
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