Rachel Tucker’s third album …you’re already home proves a fantastic showcase for her gift to interpret all kinds of songs
“Was there something I could’ve said”
As musical theatre casting shows return to our TV screens, it is nice to see evidence of what kind of launchpad it can be, even if you don’t win. Rachel Tucker may have placed fourth in 2008’s I’d Do Anything but the career that has followed has been nothing short of spectacular. Leading shows like Come From Away and Wicked on both Broadway and the West End, plus fringe plays and musicals, she’s also been recording albums on her days off, the third of which has just been released.
…you’re already home nods to the reality that home necessarily becomes a fluid concept for performers. Born in Belfast but with work pulling her between London and New York, this collection of songs pulls from all those influences, combining musical theatre tracks with rock and pop songs from across the decades. Musically, there’s a self-declared Americana undercurrent across the album but its true unifying factor is the richness of Tucker’s voice, always powerful but now more characterful than ever.
It is most evident on the more stripped-back interpretations here. My Fair Lady’s ‘Wouldn’t It Be Loverly’ shimmers beautifully with its gentle treatment here, the Celtic roots of the Waterboys’ ‘Whole of the Moon’ are amplified gorgeously and I really enjoyed her take on Lewis Capaldi’s ‘Before You Go’ with Sam Young. Fans of Tucker’s rockier side are also well-served with the likes of Free’s ‘Alright Now’ and Imagine Dragons ‘It’s Time’.
With my musical theatre hat on, it is glorious to hear Tucker tackle contemporary material so meaningfully. The passion of Jamie’s ‘He’s My Boy’ fits her to a tee, as does It All Fades Away from Jason Robert Brown’s The Bridges of Madison County and you have to hope there’s a Jenna in her future on the evidence of Waitress‘ ‘Everything Changes’. All said though, the album’s highlight ends up being a wonderfully spiky duet on Billie Eilish’s ‘Happier Than Ever’ with Jamie Muscato – she really can do it all.
