Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

In the end all that we have to do must be worth it, our best is what defines us, our search to extend the reach of our soul must be fruitful, and as a consequence it has to commit to seeing life as more than a performance, it has to be passion personified, the light must resonate as deeply from within as it shows on stage.

A person of substance is all that we are required to be, but sometimes when the light falls and the music starts, we are dominated by the blackness that envelops us, we forget to shine, we misplace the element that makes us unique.

Lauren Ray shines on the inside with such radiance that one might consider putting on shades when watching her, regardless of whether she is performing inside the vast space of the Philharmonic Hall two nights on the trot, or playing for the crowd inside a coffee house as the sense of steaming coffee rises in the air and the haze of existence is filtered and boiled, leaving the aroma of music having the upper hand against the swell of the public searching for the fix they didn’t know they needed.

It is a fix, a musical confidence we seek on stage and in life, we yearn for it, we understand the reasons why we feel the hunger for such conviction, it is what drives us in our pursuit , and for the crowd who made their way to the Philharmonic Hall on the first night of two, the opening creativity provided by Lauren Ray was not only admired, it was with trust felt and received which made her time on stage remarkable.

To be chosen to support Paul Carrack is no mean feat in itself, the musician intrinsically knows who will blossom on stage, who will demand a deep thought of beguilement and push their music further in such company that the Philharmonic crowd insists upon. It is a trust, a three-way avenue which has served well ever since Mr. Carrack first started performing, the support, the main event and the audience must always be as one to get the full effect of the evening.

Across songs such as Drive, Dull Ache, What We Came Here For, It Was Worth It and Irreplaceable, Lauren Ray captivated with charm and beautiful skill that third element with genuine precision. It would have come as no surprise to find that many who were there on the first night of the tour would have made their way back to the Philharmonic Hall for the following night just to catch a glimpse of the woman as she created more magic on stage.

A heartfelt wonder, there is much more to come from Lauren Ray, Time has played her hand with appreciation.

Ian D. Hall