Sometimes you don’t know what you need in life until it picks up a guitar and blows you away with beautiful stripped-back tunes, breathtaking vocals, and a chilled vibe that you just can’t help but enjoy. Seedoeatreivew has spent the last two weeks flat-out reviewing shows for the Fringe, and I didn’t realise that Rainee Blake was just the tonic I needed for me to slow down, take a deep breath and be serenaded by the sweet sounds of beautiful vocals and guitar. With a mix of country, folk and retro music in her performance, the rest of the Nexus Arts audience really seemed to enjoy it too!

Rainee has jumped around between Aussie and International TV shows for a while now, but it was in the show Nashville that she caught her big break. It only makes sense then that the majority of the audience came to see her perform songs from the show, and she definitely didn’t disappoint, singing River swimming and Treading Water with amazing vocal control and a wonderful stage presence. Totally at ease and in her element in front of a crowd, she was happy to chat and share snippets of her life in between songs, before wowing us again with another of her mostly self-written musical numbers. The heartbreaking song Hook brought tears to her eyes, while Joni Mitchell’s Both Sides Now got the audience singing in their seats. It’s a great sign when a 60-minute show feels like only 5 minutes and Rainee made the time fly-by, singing songs like the 60’s sounding Smoke with Boys, Elvis’ Hound Dog, new music from a yet to be released film, and two new songs that’ll be coming out in May. At the start of the Adelaide Fringe people may not have known who Rainee Blake was but after this performance, she’s sure to become a big name soon enough!

Five Stars *****