LIVE REVIEW: Melody Pool shines in unveiling of rich new material

A voice as powerful as hers and songs so emotionally bewitching, deserve a prominent platform. With all due respect to the Stag & Hunter Hotel and it's humble stage, Pool belongs in major national theatres and arenas, where she once supported the likes of The Eagles and Rodriguez.

But Pool, 30, has always brimmed with authenticity and has never forgotten her Kurri Kurri roots, even after her debut album The Hurting Scene attracted critical acclaim and was ranked in Rolling Stone's top-50 albums of 2013.

The sequel, the haunting Deep Dark Savage Heart, earned similar critical acclaim in 2016.

However, since 2017 she's been noticeably absent from the music scene - albeit a few sporadic shows - to concentrate on other artistic endeavours and, most importantly, seek the self-care she required.

With an anticipated third album nearing completion, Pool's first major tour in four years is a comeback of sorts, but on her own terms. The performance at the Stag on Friday was night two, after kicking off the evening before at her "local" the Grand Junction Hotel in Maitland.

There was a wealth of love in the room for Pool. Both Ben Leece and William Crighton, accomplished songwriters in their own right, were promising an incredible show earlier in the evening.

Leece provided the support, performing alone with his electric guitar. Without the heartland rock of his backing band, The Left Of The Dial, Leece's voice had more room to add colour to his lyrics and melodies.

Rebel Alone and Highway Not The Dream both landed heavier stripped to their essence and unreleased song, Come On December, showed promise.

Crighton joined Pool on stage as her lead guitarist, along with her partner Chris Dale (bass and synths) and Reuben Alexander (drums).

Such is Crighton's respect for Pool, that he never overshadowed her performance. However, Crighton's lashings of guitar transformed Pool's older tracks Old Enough and Love, She Loves Me into thrilling psych-folk explorations.

The evening, however, was mostly about unveiling Pool's forthcoming album. Pool performed seven unreleased songs in her 14-track set.

These ranged from the synth-driven opener to the folksy Joni Mitchell-esque Queen Of My Own Dimension to the pounding rock of her political call to arms, Things Must Change.

"It feels weird to be doing this," Pool said. "It's like we've gone back in time five years."

The moments when Pool did revisit older material such as Romantic Things, Somebody You've Met Before and Xavier, she and her band refreshed them with folk-rock vigour.

Even her signature tune, Black Dog, felt renewed as she performed it solo. The track which once felt hopelessly melancholy, as Pool exposed her mental health battles, was reborn as a triumph over one's inner demons.

Just when Melody Pool will release her third album is anyone's guess, but her performance at the Stag proved it'll be worth the wait.