Lucie Jones had been playing ‘Waitress’ on the West End when she took a small break when Sara Bareilles took over the role temporarily. But if course, the pandemic happened, and now we don’t know if Jones will get back to her role. During that time, Jones staged a concert at The Adelphi (where ‘Waitress’ was) and this disc is a remembrance of that night.
Jones is a belter, so you can just imagine what that concert must feel. The recording captures her stunning voice, and the wonderful energy of her audience. There is no shortness in belter character songs: ‘Don’t Rain. On My Parade,’ ‘Into The Unknown,’ you know the type. She sings these effortlessly, reaching for the highest notes much to the delight of the crowd. I was listening to it on my morning walk and it’s certainly an exhilarating listen.
But I wish there was more meat. We have heard all these songs before, sung this way before. Even the ‘unconventional’ picks are not original. Her ‘Bring Him Home’ has been done better by Kris Chenoweth and ‘A Piece Of Sky’ was predictable, And even when has to be ‘quiet,’ like in ‘Moon Rover,’ it just doesn’t work. But she can definitely sing, so I hope it becomes a vessel for something more original soon.
Luha Thoughts 