Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Optimism is just an emotion that fools people into believing that everything will be alright, that their lives will eventually mean something, or so some people would have you consider, for they are the ones who also say that to be realistic is to behave miserably, that The Inevitable Train Wreck is self-induced, that the criticism we face is earned because we don’t smile open mouthed and nod furiously to every encounter.

This sense of the inescapable collision between those who see that every situation has a cause and a worth and those who see it as, dare it be said, moaning, is a war on the emotions, and for musicians and poets such as Beans On Toast it is one that cannot bit be helped to side with the good upon, those who see the world as a canvas in which to make wry comment upon and to let their emotions be seen as true and direct.

There is nothing wrong with optimism, but it gets confused in the modern age with being agreeable to every situation and so-called solution, those same people who don’t allow for the reflective thought cannot fathom why everybody doesn’t jump in head-first in agreement. Thank heavens then for artists such as Beans on Toast and the way they present an argument of the upbeat but with the strong hand of honest appraisal steering the machine.

Braintree’s Jay McAllister, better known as Beans on Toast, plays with this dichotomy of emotions with his usual beautiful wit and style, and in songs such as England I Love You, Extinction No 6, the excellent Saying Thank You To Robots, Logic Bomb, the humbling Take Your Shit Home With You and On + On, the observation on humanity’s downfall is coupled with something more deserving than optimism, it is a hope that we can learn from the lessons shown us.

Optimism can be a false prophet shrouded in a cloak of shadowy confidence, hope gets you out of bed in the morning, hope leads you to live life with a better understanding, and in the land of The Inevitable Train Wreck, hope sees you take the wheel and steer all who will listen to higher ground.

A beautifully arranged set of songs filled with great meaning and observation, nothing that you would not expect from Beans On Toast.

Beans On Toast The Inevitable Train Wreck is available now from Bot Music.

Ian D. Hall