Rachel Sutton has also worked as an actress, and her background in theater is brought to her performances as she combines a love of lyrics with a love of swing music. Appearances in award-winning shows like Lansky: The Mob’s Money Man led her to sing full-time as her career.
Realms is an album packed full of beauty, and Sutton enhances her reputation as a songwriter and singer with some beautifully structured songs. Her warm, dynamic delivery is an added bonus. Sutton interprets lyrics and presents songs as complete, full-bodied stories, which make them engaging for the listener.
“This album is really eclectic. It wasn’t intended to be that way but it’s what came out of me, and that is the way I work,” Rachel Sutton says. “Although my professional life has been made up of singing mostly jazz, I have so many influences and loves that whatever feels good within me comes out in my writing.”
Sutton says the “album title is taken from the lyrics of ‘Summer Song,’ and I thought it was fitting because this album is made up of many elements of life: different situations, characters, feelings, moments, and ultimately, the different worlds we inhabit. Realms is dedicated to my daughter, Farley.”
“Summer Song” with its lilting atmosphere is a beautiful opener, enhanced by the piano of Roland Perrin (and delightful bird song). The song speaks of warm days, wanderings in the countryside, and noticing the beauty around. “The song is about the magic of hazy summer days that seem to go on forever when you are a child,” Sutton says. In the lyrics are fairies and a certain captivating magic. Sutton’s voice is a revelation on this number, going from gentle, light delivery to deep chest notes delivered with passion.
“There’s a Feeling” features a joyful hook that Sutton says had been going around her head for a while. It features a choice comprising singers Adebisi Grace Ajiboye, Joy Ibisa Odogo, Tunde Omomeji, Esther Oloyede, led by Ebenezer Oke, who arranged the track with Sutton. Sutton demonstrates another side of her impressive vocal range here, and gospel suits her perfectly. Sutton told me she wrote the number and could hear a choir at the end. Sutton admits that she did not know how to make this happen until she found she could book these wonderful singers through her friend Oke, who attends church and works with many gospel vocalists. “There’s a Feeling” rises and fills the listener with hope.
“The Jester and The Jewel” is a deeper, moving track. “Many years ago, I was in a very complex, harmful relationship which resulted in my confidence being completely destroyed for a long time. It was psychologically abusive more than anything, but I got out in time just before it turned physical,” Sutton says. “There’s a wound in me that’s still there from it, not because I miss him, but because of what he did. But that’s OK. I’ve used it to fuel some of what I do, and this song is the story of that pain, leaving your abuser, and knowing that a special part of you is still intact.”
The lyrics speak volumes: “You’ve taken just enough of me, but there’s one thing more, a piece of gold inside of me and it’s starting to soar – far away.” And “the girl who tries to run away from you. Oh, but I stayed, why did I stay?” The lyrical delivery of this track is emotive and also inspiring. The guitar solo from Sandy Buglas is sonorous and lifting.
“Castles in the Sky” was written for Sutton’s brother and his family and is about childhood memories, growing, and wanting to capture childhood innocence, but also keep the lasting connections that come with growing. The beautiful recurring major key melody of the piano creates a sensuous background while not encroaching on the delivery of the superb vocals from Sutton. Catch her incidentals: “Now we’re older, and the world is so much colder, but there’s one thing we’ll have as life goes by, we’ll have each other, we’ll always have each other, and we’ll have ice cream cones and painted horses in the sky.”
“Time” has a frenetic, jazzy, Latin-infused rhythm and is all about the time, or shortage of it. It is about not missing chances, with added emphasis from a horn section comprising Paul Booth, Ryan Quigley, and Trevor Mires, and a trumpet solo from Ryan Quigley creates a wonderful second third. The number, for Sutton, was written to try to encapsulate the time constraints of a mother, wife and performer. The nostalgic “Daytrip” has a ’30s feel to it and is all innocence, a little romance, and picnics by the sea. A lovely, lilting stroll of a number, enhanced by Perrin’s skillful bashing the heck out of a nifty little melody. It’s perfect for the feel of the number.
Billy Barnes’ “Something Cool” is taken and given the Rachel Sutton treatment – with pizzazz and flair. “This song has become one of my favorite jazz standards. I happened upon it by chance and fell in love with it,” Sutton says. “Having been an actress, I jump at any opportunity to incorporate that skill into my work as a singer. I still think of myself as an actress because you have to pull on that to make a song come alive. So it feeds into everything I do, anyway. But there’s a particularly good opening for that in this song. It’s sassy, tragic, fascinating, and insightful.”
All this is true and more in this number, with Sutton shining bright in her delivery: “I am thoroughly ashamed, I don’t remember your name, but I remember your charm and smile. … You’re just a guy who stopped to buy me something cool,” sings Sutton – not that she sounds in the least ashamed. A lovely track and very easy on the ears. “All You Can Eat” is fast-paced and snazzy, about a fast-paced love affair, wine and food. With tongue firmly in cheek, Sutton and company deliver a fun-filled, slightly chaotic number with a distinctly chirpy bass, piano, percussion trio section, which is distinctly chirpy. The to-and-fro between vocals and drums is delightful. Watch out for the stunner ending.
“I’d Really Love It” is about two older people finding each other after years of putting dreams aside, regrets, and memories. It is about hope and dreams that might just come true. “Farley’s Song” was written for Sutton’s daughter. It is a warm promise from a mother to a child, thinking of memories but also wishes and hopes for the future, and certainty that she will always be there for her child. The lyrics will get you, guaranteed.
This is a gorgeous album, skillfully put together with the perfect mix of emotion, light-hearted numbers and good ballads. As I listened to it (for a lost count number of times), Realms reminded me of a film: It tells stories, it lifts, it carries the listener along the emotive, expressive lyrics and melodies.
It is not often I download an album to take on my travels, but the music on this recording is so good I did. For this reviewer, Rachel Sutton’s Realms provides just what a person needs, whatever the mood.
- Rachel Sutton – ‘Realms’ (2026) - March 8, 2026
- Antonio Farao and Stephane Belmondo Quartet – ‘Do It!’ (2026) - February 22, 2026
- Benjamin Dean Wilson – ‘Until the House Falls’ (2025) - December 28, 2025
