Released: November 4
Luke Evans once again proves himself a triple threat on his latest album ‘A Song For You’.
The second long-player from the actor, singer and songwriter is composed largely of cover versions, selected from and showcasing the breadth of his personal record collection.
Opening with his take on Donny Hathaway’s classic, which serves as the title track to the LP, ‘A Song For You’ boasts orchestral backing from Prague’s Philharmonic Orchestra, with additional vocals from the world-famous Treorchy Male Voice Choir.
A cover of You Raise Me Up, as recorded by Josh Groban and Westlife, is soaring, while his raw vocals shine on a rousing take on R.E.M.’s Everybody Hurts.
It’s not all big ballads; Horizons Blue, an original track penned by the multi-hyphenate, is a rare, acoustic guitar-led moment, showcasing a more tender side to his vocal.
“I wrote it in Florida during lockdown, as the sun was coming up over the Atlantic. I was sitting on the beach and the horizon was as blue as the sea,” says Luke. “You couldn’t see the difference between the two.
“Three hours later, I zoomed with Amy in Pontypridd and we completed a demo within two hours. That’s really amazing for me, because I’d never written. I knew that I could do it, but I just needed to be guided.”
In fact, while duets with Charlotte Church (Come What May) and Nicole Kidman (Say Something) are strong, and takes on Bonnie Raitt’s I Can’t Make You Love Me and Simon & Garfunkel’s Bridge Over Troubled Water masterful, it’s Luke as a songwriter that really grabs us this time around and has us longing for a record of originals.
The idea of more new music isn’t too far fetched, as Luke says: “The first time, once the album was out and it had done really well and I was back to my other life, it just felt like it was… fleeting
“But doing it this time, I absorbed every moment of it, and more slowly. This time, I felt like I wasn’t running, I was walking. I was able to take in the scenery.
“I just feel really lucky as a singer, my first love, to do it again,” he concludes, “and to sing these magical songs on an album which I’ll have for the rest of my life. I want everyone else to share that joy, too.”
‘A Song For You’ is available now.
