Live Review: Dean Lewis, Samsaruh, Jack Gray

A wall of silky synth fills the room and it sounds like we've stepped into a funky laneway bar. Jack Gray, a 19-year-old singer and producer, shares his synth-laden alternative productions and radiates on stage with his smooth tonality and poppy melodies. Chucking slick riffs in here and there, it's enough to keep the crowd engaged as he is farewelled with gracious applause. 

Sticking to the theme of young, emerging talent, the next support band comes in the form of another 19-year-old artist, Samsaruh. The Melbourne-based singer-songwriter captivates the audience with her eclectic dance moves and ethereal vocal resonance, utilising her entire body to convey her forceful passion and emotion. Whispered "wow"s are overheard in the crowd as Samsaruh takes her voice to new heights, the notes she hits are comparable to Florence Welch and she never wavers. Samsaruh finishes with her upcoming single; the crowd is stunned and left in a wondrous trance.

In a sea of blue LED lights, which are positioned centre stage behind his piano, Sydney singer-songwriter and major heartthrob Dean Lewis is greeted by overwhelming applause. It's been just over three months since his last Melbourne show, but the crowd has grown at a rapid rate with Lewis selling out both Corner Hotel shows and others across the country. With a single Edison bulb glowing on a stand in front of him, this stage setting brings a simplistic and intimate feel as Lewis jumps between piano and guitar, harmonising blissfully with his band. Every song feels warmer than the last. Couples are hugging and swaying along to the romantic, passionate tunes that Lewis is well known for. An a cappella chorus during Half A Man is met with dropped jaws and stunned faces.

Someone in the crowd mutters, "This guy's been everywhere," as Lewis mentions individual songs were written in different countries such as the US, Germany and England, and lets the crowd into his songwriter's brain. Lewis' onstage charisma is cheeky, relatable and genuine. "My friends thought this song was about drugs," he jokes before fan-favourite Chemicals. Each song is delivered with intense passion and Lewis' raw talent is on display, leaving some audience members teary-eyed and unable to look away. There's a nice split between released and unreleased songs, which gives the crowd a nice teaser of what's to come. And if these new songs are representative of what's on Lewis' debut album, the world better watch out.