Sam Foster Smith - The Water Rats Review: A stellar live debut, adding a new ‘one to watch’ to the scene

3 Mar

As a first show, the future is looking very bright for Sam.

★★★★★★★☆☆☆

Fresh from releasing his third single The Good Life, Somerset-hailing Sam Foster Smith is adamant on keeping the indie torch alive. With influences noted as Sam Fender and The Killers; Sam Foster Smith has quickly jumped the ranks of social media success with support from This Feeling and BBC Introducing. His bold sophomore single, I Choose You made it into our Weekly Roundup, dubbed an early ‘indie anthem’.

On a Saturday night in central London, the young artist made his live debut at The Water Rats for This Feeling. The online buzz building around his music felt more tangible than ever, when fans congregated in one place.

Bouncing through a packed 7-song setlist, Smith immediately captivated the room with his charismatic and upbeat stage presence. The beers were flowing, and smiles were beaming in all corners of the intimate space. Kickstarting the night with Hotel Room and The Good Life set the tone for what was to come. The latter received a huge applause, as Smith explained the uplifting reasons behind the track’s origin.

While most of this material was unreleased, there was one clear result. People were invested, and more importantly fixated on the stage. They took part, and felt part of the overarching show, singing along and cheering back the anthem choruses.

Everything came to a huge finale when I Choose You began. This was the moment Smith’s knack for penning huge tunes became more noticeable than ever, commanding the crowd to such a degree, they continued singing after he’d gone.

As a first show, the future is looking very bright for Sam.

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