North by East West: Review: Andrew Austin @ The Black Shire, London, ON

Given Andrew Austin's connection to London, what seemed like a familiar crowd welcomed he and his band, The Fuss, as they took the stage at the Black Shire.

Natural, down to earth and laid back are all ways to describe Austin's presence. He chatted back to the crowd between songs, throwing in some inside jokes for those who've had the privilege of seeing him perform before. All this made for an intimate setting and helped set the tone for a relaxed concert.

With a full band behind him, Austin ran the gamut of old and new songs, plus some covers for good measure. Who doesn't love hearing a young pop-folk singer tackle classics like Marvin Gaye's "Let's Get It On" and Frankie Valli's "Can't Take My Eyes Off You." And I'm not saying this sarcastically - Austin was damn good. In fact, his voice seemed most at ease when singing his earlier, more R&B-ish works, like "Anna" and "Just The Way I Feel." You can definitely hear the Motown inspiration in his songs and it was a welcome surprise. What was an even more welcome was his cover of Seal's "Crazy."

Austin's name may strike a familiar chord as he was a Top 18 pick for the 2007 round of Canadian Idol. Plus he's getting a lot of buzz lately, having been picked by CP24 as one of their choice performers during Canadian Music Week 2009.

In spite of his initial critical success, Austin comes across as a simple guy, singing his songs about love and life. It's approachable easy-listening, similar to mainstream favourites Jason Mraz and John Mayer. And even though the lyrics are about tough times, you wouldn't know it with the music. Check out his latest single "No Flowers" to see what I mean.