Reviews | Jay Foreman

ThreeWeeks
May 2010
(Brighton Fringe preview of "Pretend You're Happy")

Self-effacing, eager, yet humble in his reticence to share his life stories, Jay Foreman crams a vast array of witty and erudite songs into his hour-long shift at The Quadrant. His writing is unendingly inventive and fresh, with leaps into both absurdity and well-grounded observational comedy. Though pay attention (his punchlines are sometimes hidden mid-song) and be ready to join in, the unobtrusive audience participatory numbers are the highlights. True, the links between the songs need some work to form a cohesive whole. Comedy music acts tend to find themselves in a no-man's-land between the gig and stand-up formats, and Jay veers towards the former whilst having untapped potential in the latter. But he's an exciting comic singer-songwriter whose talent and confidence will grow. Definitely worth catching, especially while his gigs are free, that can't last forever! (4/5)

Oxfringe
April 2010

Jay Foreman takes fresh, witty and incredibly catchy self penned songs and delivers them to a captivated audience with the relaxed manner of a seasoned entertainer, whilst retaining a level of charm that keeps a spellbinding hold over his audience. His songs are easy on the ear and his audience listen intently to every carefully constructed line, in amongst their own giggles and laughter. Pretend You're Happy is both silly and hilarious and it is the often touching blurring of these elements that made the audience leave extremely happy without an ounce of pretence. (5/5)

Chortle
March 2010 (extract from review of Musical Comedy Awards 2010)

Jay Foreman was probably one of the most musically talented finalists, with a versatile set and compositions that sit very easy on the ears. He also takes a oblique comic angle with his writing, rather than going for obvious targets, which means that songs like I’m Glad John Lennon Is Dead will intrinsically hold the interest more than your standard parody. Likeable presence, elegant performance and a sparse but effective collection of gags add to a very pleasant package full of wit, if not bite, and well deserving of his third place.

Spoonfed.co.uk
March 2010 (extract from review of Musical Comedy Awards 2010)

In an honourable third place comes Jay Foreman, last year's best newcomer and arguably the most musically gifted songwriter among us tonight. His words are fey and inoffensive, tweaked into intrigue by the subtle discordance of his guitar.

Anna Waits
March 2010 (extract from blog review of Musical Comedy Awards 2010)

York Uni alumnus Jay Foreman was the penultimate performer and his ditties covering Stealing Food and finding An Imperfect Girl seemed to be the first of the night to really win over the neutrals - I wasn't quite that, being a fellow York...ian, but he certainly made me laugh the most, and he's a genuinely great musician. Mr Foreman was placed an honourable (but too low, judges!) third.

Three Weeks
August 2009 (extract from review of Peeling PVA Company Presents Rent-a-Toast)

...Most impressive is the fresh talent of Jay Foreman, whose personality and manner with the audience are as charming as his lyrics are funny. On his guitar he leads you through an eclectic range of subjects, from illegitimate Japanese babies to why he's glad John Lennon died. Foreman on his own would be a great show… 5/5

The List - Pick of the Free Fringe
August 2009

...Jay Foreman performing as part of the The Complete Guide to All Human Knowledge in 59½ Minutes (***) is similarly impressive compared to both his free peers and more established acts, singing simple songs with wonderful lines of thought that Flight of the Conchords wouldn't turn their noses up at. And the more songs about Dick Van Dyke, the better."

The London Word
April 2009

... Jay Foreman, recipient of the best newcomer award is certainly one to watch.

Nouse
January 2008

Everybody loves a laugh, right? York's resident musical comedian Jay Foreman has been cashing in on this fact since 2005 when a charity fundraising idea got big. Four CDs later, including a recently released 'Best Of', Jay has become something of a campus legend. No, let me clarify - just a legend. The song 'Moon Chavs' has generated a bit of a cult following in students across the country, as a quick search of YouTube testifies. But it's not only students who are fans of Jay's; the BBC showed considerable interest in '20 Songs for Free', the show he brought to last year's Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

Jay confesses that he "loves to make people laugh at things they shouldn't find funny", and 20 Songs, a compilation of the best songs from his previous three CDs, does just that. Titles such as 'Chained to a Radiator' and 'Stealing Food' give a feel of what's in store, although nothing can fully prepare you for the gleeful, yet slightly guilty, feeling the album will leave you with. The songs range from the downright silly ('Spirograph' and 'Balloon') to the lewd and terribly funny ('Buggery Club'). And somewhere along the way Jay touches upon more sensitive issues in 'Little Japanese Baby' and 'No Christmas' where his skillful wit and complete lack of taste give way to dry humour.

Jay ventures into mildly political territory with 'Calypso' and attempts a "non-funny" song in 'Hundred Perfect Days'. This, with a catchy guitar riff and melancholic melody, works well; if it's a little out of place among 19 comic songs then it's heartfelt words and musicality are all part of the charm.

Jay's arrangements are simple and primarily acoustic, using mostly guitar, with occasional synthesizers. If you manage to catch him live you're in for a treat because as good as the album is, when it comes to comedy, live performance can't be bettered. Be warned though, this album is hardly a tasteful work. But who cares? At £5 (only 25p a song, he points out) Jay capitalises on our guilty pleasures and so we must thank him.

Three Weeks
August 2007 (review of Jay Foreman - 20 Songs for Free)

A welcome reminder that a good Fringe show need not necessarily be concept heavy. Foreman has a clear voice and an easy stage manner, but as with any comedy songwriter, the lyrics are what count, and his are simple but effective. The 22 year-old will likely prove particularly popular with students and others his age, thanks to songs about Calypsos (those nasty fruit drinks from your childhood) and the perils of MSN and Facebook. But his appeal isn’t limited: people of all ages will love ‘Little Japanese Baby’, about the unexpected result of his girlfriend’s trip to Tokyo. Rarely hilarious, but always amusing, this functions as a nice warm up for the other excellent shows throughout the day at the Meadow Bar. 4/5

User Comments on Edfringe.com
4-25 August 2007

It is hardly believable that this show is free. How somebody with as much musical talent and ability to write witty and catchy songs can perform for free is incredible. Jay Foreman deserved the Meadow Bar to be packed full each day, and his excellent show this year will do no harm to his growing reputation on youtube and Myspace. The Main highlights were his "classics" such as "Moon Chavs" and "The Procrastinator", both of which had been enhanced from the recorded versions, as well as "Funhouse", "You Should Never Get Drunk", "No Christmas" and "Imagine If I died". He also has an uncanny ability to write songs that send a shiver down your spine and bring a tear to your eye, such as "Martin was a Monkey" and "The Coolest Dream", both of which somehow moving despite their subject matter! I enjoyed the whole show and his CD is a snip at the price of £5. The only bad thing was that some of the songs I liked weren't on the CD! Definitely worth going to see, I think I'll go again, and hopefully he'll be back next year.
I was so bemused at the festical how people spent so much time spending copious amounts of cash on average comedians and theatre when such comedy talent is availiable for free. Jay and his friend Phil were fantastic, the songs were funny,unoffensive (unless your a chav or weirdly into msn) while Jay performed with deserved confidence. By far the best moment was when jays friend Phil permored a serious song...after a sad build up.. the theme tune to funhouse as a ballad, the only time i cried with laughter at the fest.
So good, I bought the CD. Funny, Clever, Sweet, Witty, Talented, Fresh, Cheery, Sparkling and definitly worth going to.
Laughed the whole way through! :D Jay is clearly an incredibly talented Guitar Player and a very funny writer. My Advice - catch him while you can still see him for free!
"You get nothing for free" said my Dad. Actually Dad you do - an hour of brilliant entertainment actually. The lunchtime slot is perfect for this foray into clever lyrics, good music and strangely enjoyable funny songs which are odd, but never ever dull. This is a talented guy. Grab a post night-out beer or coffee and relax with a great way to start your day at the fringe. How this is free is beyond me - but who cares, enjoy!

Yor:Mag
9 February 2006

Listening to Jay Foreman's CD will leave one a little confuddled (or is it bemuddled?). One will be sniggering but be feeling rather guilty about doing so, baffled as to whether one has listened to something very silly or very clever, in all, one will be left in a sense of uneasy pleasure! The CD encompasses tracks that sound like the ramblings of someone on a high, those that seem to adopt the way of thinking of a 5-yr old, those that cleverly mimic other genres of music and many that present some very un-pc comedy (the type found on the office that makes you squirm and laugh and squirm some more) touching on Islamic-fundamentalism, obesity, adultery, buggery and more... in all the wrong ways! However, the problem with dismissing this CD as the result of some students messing around is that it really is quite funny, the parody element is rather clever and the vocals and musicality are pretty damn good. The CD is unique as a fingerprint (i.e. Super unique) and certainly worth a listen. Contact jayforeman51 at hotmail dot com if you want to get hold of a copy. Warning: Listening to this CD may lead to a pain in the stomach (all the laughing) and a pain in the head (the bruise from getting hit by the hyper-sensitive humanist type who overhears what you're listening to)! But seriously....no pain no gain!

York Vision
30 January 2006 (re. Drama Soc Comedy Evening)

Thoroughly warmed-up and enjoying ourselves, it was time for a bit of audience participation with the second musical act, Jay Foreman. From getting us to shout out what Dick Van Dyke has been in (and yes, someone did say 'your mother') to a sing-a-long with the legendary 'Moon Chavs', Jay had the audience in the palm of his finger-picking hands. And it's not surprising - his witty songs perfectly suit student humour, with childlike/stoned meanderings about balloons floating away or chavs mugging Clangers, as well as the brilliantly accurate 'Procrastinator' song. A particular highlight, and one he rightly asserts all students can identify with, Jay advises against the essay threat that is instant messaging, with doom-voiced warnings 'don't go on MSN!' over frantic guitar strumming.

York Vision
8 Nov 2005

Jay Foreman is a second year French and Linguistics student who has released his own LP, entitled Raisins Turn Into Grapes In The Microwave. (available now in Your:Shop) of funny and twisted yet strangely charming ditties. What started as a money-making enterprise for the Morocco Hitch last year has escalted into something more (they're even talking about it on the Halifax forum: "Jay Foreman, legend or loon?", and if it's reached as far as Halifax...). Unfortunately, reviews consisting of one word in capitals (in this case: GENIUS) are frowned upon; otherwise that is all i would say. Foreman owes more than a small debt to the Moldy Peaches and Adam Green's solo work, but these songs have an originality and a Britishness, a studentness (who else would write a paean to Countdown and public school?) which ensures thyey hold their own. Foreman told Vision that "I sing in exactly the same accent I talk with. It's also fun to try and make my songs sound as British as possible by mentioning things like the Queen, public school and traffic cones as often as i can get away with." His aim is to write and sing "the simplest songs possible, about the things that everyone thinks about but would never think to talk about. Like spirographs or sending chavs to the moon." The comedy of his lyrics combined with simple, memorable melodies should certainly succeed in giving him the "direct reaction of laughter" from his audience. Lovers of Countdown may blanche at his derogatory comments about the late Richard Whitely in "Final Countdown" (how long will it be before they completely run out of conundrums?) but Jay assures us that it was written before the good man's untimely end, and that his next CD will in fact be dedicated to 'Twice Nightly' himself. "Moon Chavs" is a country and western style serenade to a world without Burberry-clad chavs and is even complete with a sing-along chorus, surely the highlight of many a live gig. The hilariously warped "Buggery Club" (about public all-male boarding schools, as if you couldn't guess...) is a song Flanders and Swann could've written if they'd been more X-rated. And frankly if songs about buggery, chavs and illegitamate Japanese babies don't at least pique your curiousity, you need a sense of humour transplant.

Girton College, Cambridge
23 Oct 2005 (from newsletter)

Unfortunately Girton Underground is closed for repairs this weekend, however we will have a performance by the infamous Jay Foreman who has travelled all the way from York to come busk in Girton bar. Who is Jay Foreman? The uneducated amongst you may well ask. For your sakes I shall explain. Jay Foreman is the one and only legendary composer of "Moon chavs" a song that is rapidly becoming a student hit across the country. Towering in at an intimidating 5ft 10 he is the mastermind behind the album "Raisins turn into grapes in the microwave" and has an awesome back catalogue of classics including the much loved "spirograph" and "buggery club". This Sunday from 9.30 he'll be doing a one man tour de force of all the favourites and many tracks from his newest material. If my eloquence has been insufficient to convince you of Jay's undisputed greatness then I invite you to sample the plethora of tracks available on my iTunes. Weighing in at an awesome 16 minutes and 40 seconds Jay's first album, "Rasins turn into grapes in the microwave" is an adrenaline filled, heart-stopping masterpiece produced to raise money for the aged. Some come one, come all; Girton bar is to be graced by a true musical talent this Sunday night, don't miss out.

Banks Basement Tapes Competition
22 Mar 2005

This album is great! Melody, harmony and structure are well thought through and catchy, yet Jay's style is first and foremost humour; it is incredibly funny and a refreshing change. Personal favourites include 'Moon Chavs' & 'Spirograph', putting into song what many of us keep in our heads! The recording is sparse yet engaging with just guitar and vocals. This is a must listen CD.