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Reviews

Spoonfed
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

(extract from review of Jay Foreman and Max and Iván at the Albany, 24th November 2010)

Jay Foreman is [Max and Iván's] perfect compliment, equal parts po-faced comedian and finger-licking folk singer-songwriter, and clearly able to succeed in either role. The show itself is a detailed composition drawing from both areas. Some songs barely contain any humour, save for an ungraspably whimsical and unexpected sense of ennui, while others are soaked with laughter (like his impromptu play performed with a kidnapped audience member) or just bafflingly busy and densely packed with fiddly arpeggios and clever wordsmithery (If I ever get “Stealing Food” out of my head it'll be too soon.)

He paints a sparse, snowy landscape that from a distance is meditative in its emptiness. But look closely and there are happy little gremlins poking out from the bushes and cackling gleefully at the dissonance. An inspiring musician and an honest soul, the perfect fellow to have round a camp fire on a frosty night. Every home should have one.

Intuitively, you'd expect the two acts to be swapped over in the running order, but this works out wonderfully. Max and Ivan are like a face full of happy pills and a go on a bouncy castle. Jay Foreman is like a couple of valium and a cool highball to smooth the night over and send you to bed with sweet but disturbing dreams. Not that I would recommend such things (perish the thought).

 

Chortle (Steve Bennett)
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

There’s a lot to like in guitarist Jay Foreman’s assured debut, a laid-back and friendly presentation of witty, slightly eccentric tracks, enlivened with a warm, varied delivery. His compositions are broken up with not just the usual preambles, but unusual bits of business such as performing a two-hander play with an audience volunteer, reciting verses written when stoned and – in a wonderful and presumably difficult party piece – singing a couple of well-known songs with the lyrics one syllable behind the tune.

These, however, are just the baubles that adorn the main attraction. The songs – or more likely half-songs, as he’s never one to let a gag outstay its welcome – tend to come from slightly odd ideas, then performed with flourishes and unexpected twists to add to the joke. For the most part, there’s a well-developed drollness to the writing, meaning he’s one of those musical comics who actually earn their end-of-song applause breaks, rather than just benefiting from the Pavlovian response.

The stand-out track for me was the beautifully provocative song about John Lennon, and how his reputation would have crumbled had he continued into middle-age; although the jaunty student-aimed Stealing Food is as catchy as it is wrong. The silly Moon Chavs was apparently an internet hit, though it’s actually one of his simpler numbers.

Generally, the writing is sharp and sophisticated and the musicianship strong, making him a sort of Victoria Wood for the Spotify generation. Slightly Imperfect Girl is probably the track that best sums up his attitude to life, being a realistic love song yet still quietly celebratory.

A couple of the slower, more whimsical songs reduce the laugh rate,, but they never last long enough to cause a lull, so fall under the category of adding texture to what is a classy and funny lunchtime spirit-raiser. Thoroughly enjoyable stuff.

★★★★

ThreeWeeks
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

There's no need to pretend as there is plenty to enjoy in this hilarious stand-up show. Jay Foreman pleases with a set of catchy tunes complete with witty lyrics, and when he isn't singing, he's churning out laugh-out-loud jokes aplenty. The subject matters of his jokes and songs cover lots of ground, as topics as diverse as calypso drinks and botched bank robberies are explored, and the laughs are near-constant. His interaction with the audience was jovial, relaxed and utterly engaging; I was kept solidly entertained from beginning to end, and I could tell that the vast majority of the audience felt the same. In time, Jay Foreman will go far, so it's best to catch him in Edinburgh while you can.

★★★★

The New Current
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

(I cannot condone the abysmal grammar in this “review”, 4 star though it is)

Before this show was about to start Jay, who was sitting on the stage playing his guitar as the audience was filing in, stopped and told the crowd that he normally has water with him but he had forgot it. So he asked the audience if there was anyone who could play guitar whilst he went and go this water, a guys hand went up and so began this very odd, but pleasant, few minutes of a random being Jay’s stand in. He might have had to continue doing the show as Jay told us he had forgotten his pass to get back in.

 

This would become the overall tone and theme of Jay’s show. Incredibly warm, friendly, and he had a great rapport with the audience that was pretty unique. There was a good balance of ages in the crowd though I think he focused a bit more (well picked on) the students which was punctuated with a classic student song about stealing food which was amazing. Many of his songs where relatable and his range was quite diverse from the carton drink Calypso to the original Captain Birdseye, but I think my favourite song was about John Lennon and The Beatles.

Jay uses a lot of his own experiences well in his show and the student theme continues when he starts talking about his time at University and the things he thought he could do. But for us, as am sure for each night, he asks someone from the audience to come up and help him with a play he’s written and he couldn’t have picked the most unlikely audience member than Alan, a very Northern (I think Newcastle) care worker. Though once he got on stage his wife come running up with his reading glasses which got one of the most beautiful laughs I have heard.

So standing up there Alan and Jay tell this story, played out with Jay singing and Alan doing the spoken word bits. This was a great piece and worked so well the crowd loved it and Alan was a true trooper.

Jay Foreman give his show a real life that is full of his honesty, passion, and perfect humour that is fun to watch. He sometimes seems to think that some of the references may be lost on the audience and outside of the fringe and with a more awkward crowd I can see his point. But at the Fringe he doesn’t have to worry much at all as his song and material are well written and delivered. This show will leave you wanting more!

★★★★

LoveFringe
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

From beginning by asking for a guitar-playing member of the audience to volunteer to play something whilst he went and got a drink of water, Jay Foreman was relaxed and immensely watchable. Our particular ‘fill-in’ was really good as it turned out, prompting an “alright, get your own show!” on Jay’s return to begin the show itself. The lyrics are clever and funny in equal measure and recognise shared experiences wonderfully. In particular, songs about Calypso, Captain Birdseye and students stealing food got much applause and laughter. My particular favourites were two tunes about no longer trusting Radio 4 (including accurately whistled ‘pips’!) and his search for a “Slightly Imperfect Girl”, from which I have now made a list to circulate amongst my single friends! The music is linked with confident banter, includes poems as well as songs and an enthusiastically enjoyable amount of audience participation. I thoroughly enjoyed this hour of my Fringe experience and would urge you to go along to hear ‘Doh a deer’ sung 1 syllable too late throughout, analysis of the Neighbours theme tune and the track which gives the show its name. I bought both CDs after the show and have been humming them ever since!

★★★★

ThreeWeeks (extract from review of 'The Beta Males Picnic Presents')
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

...The show also featured a special guest appearance by Jay Foreman, whose witty songs on myriad topics from 'The Sooty Show' to the joys of stealing food (he's a veritable gastronomic kleptomaniac!) almost threatened to upstage this already sterling show. Oh-so-heartily recommended.

★★★★★

Fest Mag
August 2010
(Pretend You're Happy, Edinburgh 2010)

That Jay Foreman can't half play the guitar. As the audience files in, there's some wonderful fingerpicking drifting from the speakers. It's only when a hidden voice chirps up that one realises the complex musical lines aren't from a CD, but from Foreman beginning his show.

This fine musicality continues throughout Foreman's own compositions. He's an accomplished songwriter and keeps the music varied and interesting. It's sometimes jazzy, sometimes wistful, but always tuneful.

It's a shame, then, that this layered complexity doesn't wend its way into Foreman's lyrics. For the most part they are jolly, whimsical numbers, vapidly referencing 80s and 90s culture. With the exception of a slightly distasteful singalong about putting "chavs" on the moon, this is mid-afternoon frivolity and nothing more. But an hour is a long time for it, so you'd better be feeling frivolous.

★★★

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

 

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.