Manchester-based guitarist Jimmy Beedham makes his debut as a lead artist with Faking It, an album between jazz, funk and rock. It brings together adventurous musicianship, playful arrangements and, perhaps most importantly, the sound of a group of musicians having a really good time.
Although this is billed as a solo album, it never really feels like one. Jimmy is joined by an impressive group of musicians throughout and the interplay between them is a huge part of what makes Faking It so enjoyable.
From the very beginning, the record grabs your attention with “Frenchman’s Breakfast”. As someone who is French, I was immediately intrigued by the title, although I’m not sure I was expecting the track itself to sound quite like this! It begins with an almost old-fashioned sounding melody before suddenly opening up into a much groovier track.
There’s a real sense of energy to it, and it feels like the sort of song that could convince you that mornings are a good thing. I’m not normally this energetic while having breakfast, but maybe I’ve been doing it wrong. Perhaps “Frenchman’s Breakfast” needs to become part of my morning routine.
“Heir Of The Dog” follows and keeps the groove going, although this was probably one of the tracks that worked slightly less well for me. I found it a little more repetitive than some of the other songs on the album.
Then comes “Life By Misadventure”, which takes things in a darker direction. It starts much more quietly, which immediately made me wonder where Jimmy was going to take it next. Compared with the energy of the opening tracks, there’s more heaviness to this one and it allows the bass to really stand out.
There was one moment where the track made me think of the background music from an old Disney film. I have absolutely no idea why my brain went to 101 Dalmatians, but once I thought it, I couldn’t unhear it! That slightly mysterious feeling continues towards the end, where background noise and different voices appear.
“On Talacre Beach” is a shorter track and provides another change of pace. It’s a lovely little moment, although for me it didn’t quite have the same standout quality as some of the other songs.
Then we get to “Trojan Funk” and this is where I became completely obsessed. It is exactly what the title promises: funk and lots of it. There’s a brilliant sense of fun running through the whole track, and you can genuinely hear the musicians enjoying themselves.
This is probably the moment on the album where the idea of Faking It being about musicians having fun really comes through. I loved this one. My only complaint is that I wanted it to be longer. When you’re having this much fun with a groove, why stop?
“Don’t Get Caught” moves into a funky blues territory while “No Picnic” takes things further with fusion. There are moments here that reminded me of the synthpop and electronic grooves of artists like Chromeo, which was a nice touch.
The album finishes with “ATP” and you’re in for a treat. After so much of the album being driven by instrumental playing, suddenly hearing vocals feels like such a surprise. It’s also where Jimmy reunites with his bandmates Pink Miami. The track has a much more classic rock and yacht rock feel to it, while still keeping the jazzier musicianship that runs throughout Faking It.
Lyrically, “ATP” is a tongue-in-cheek look at life on the road, with the music reflecting that sense of adventure and the slightly ridiculous side of spending summers on the Côte d’Azur and winters in the French Alps. It’s a fun way to finish the album.
Overall, I’d say that Faking It is a musical journey that feels like a group of very talented musicians got together, plugged in their instruments and decided to see where they could take things. Sometimes it’s funky, sometimes it’s jazzy, sometimes it gets a little strange, and sometimes you suddenly find yourself thinking about 101 Dalmatians for absolutely no reason. But most importantly, it sounds like they’re having fun.
The Players:
Jimmy Beedham | Guitars & Vocals (All tracks). Bass (7, 8)
John Dagnall | Drums (1, 2, 3, 5)
Stu Fagan | Drums (6, 7). Vocals (8)
Neil Fairclough | Bass (1, 2). Vocals (8)
John McMillan | Bass (3, 5)
Gaston Johnson | Bass (6). Handclaps (7)
Maff Hall | Keys (1, 2)
Neil Edwards | Keys (3, 5, 6). Vocals (8)
Anthony Brown | Sax (6, 7)
Pink Miami:
Ben Vickers | Guitar & Vocals (8)
George Whalley | Drums (8)
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