Beans on Toast - ‘The Toothpaste and The Tube’ review
Band
Beans on Toast has released another fantastic folk album via BOT Music, The Toothpaste and The Tube.
On release day, Jay McAllister of Beans on Toast hosted a launch party at The Golden Lion in Todmorden, a British pub which inspired his lead single under the same name. He begins his UK tour the day after, playing at a wide range of venues in December, continuing on tour in 2024.
Beans on Toast has been on the music scene for over twenty years. He has achieved recent success with his 2021 album Survival of the Friendliest and children's book series. Great for fans of Billy Bragg and Frank Turner, his new album The Toothpaste and The Tube was inspired by the saying, “You can’t put toothpaste back in the tube.”
This album touches on many social and political subjects, as does much of Beans on Toast’s music. The songwriting is well-crafted, telling stories of wit and wonder with a magic sparkle. Speaking of this new collection, McAllister said, “We had a ball in the studio, and I think you can feel that when you listen to it. So enjoy!”
The opening track, “Back Out On The Road,” is a celebratory beginning to the new album with a solid stomp-and-clap beat. The next track, “Work To Do,” is about environmental struggles with an upbeat piano melody backing McAllister’s message. Despite “A long list of problems/Here on planet Earth,” we humans should find purpose in the work we have to do.
“Hope & Glory” features a plucky acoustic while McAllister describes the life of a woman burdened by too many responsibilities. Yet she remembers what’s important, and that’s the hope and glory found in her children’s bedtime stories.
“The Three Stooges” is a powerful song about going up against the World Economic Forum. The song ends on a hopeful note, with a joyous choir occasionally joining in.
“The Dragicorn,” is a playful song about McAllister’s five-year-old’s imaginative stories and the creatures she’s created and the belief he has in her.
“The Golden Lion” is where McAllister paints vivid pictures of real-life locals in Todmorden, such as Holly who ‘runs the folklore museum’ and believes the supposed UFOs to be faeries, instead. A droning guitar, reminiscent of noughties Muse, plays with a plucky acoustic
“Send Me A Bird” is a tearjerker about the grief of losing a loved one, looking for ‘signs’ in nature, such as the blue tit McAllister describes in the song. His vocals are raw and heartfelt. “Sunny Sunny Scotland” barrels in with full-on bagpipes. McAllister sings about his Scottish namesake and the beauty of Scotland: “In sunny Scotland/We’ll chase the clouds away/I’m a McAllister by name/That means son of Allister from way back in the day.”
In “AI,” McAllister thinks the rise of AI is ‘terrifying’ and ‘exciting.’ The light-heartedness depicted is almost mocking with such a serious topic. The song ends with a glitching robot repeating the sinister phrase: “You’re never alone.” “The Greenwash” is a groovy song with rap influences. This one is a bit different with backing vocalists singing a catchy “Do the greenwash” and also a woman vocalist; an outlier in the whole of The Toothpaste and The Tube.
McAllister raises an important question in the ballad “Against the War:” “I’m not sure if there’s good guys/And bad guys anymore/Who’s getting paid?/And who they’re rooting for?” Regardless, he’s against the war. A woman with a soft, high voice adds a sentimentality to the song. “Swimming in the Sea” is a more relaxed, laid-back tune. McAllister says he will swim on through the cold water and the discomfort and survive the hardships. And he wants others to join him. The Toothpaste and The Tube ends with “Who I’ll Try To Be.” McAllister’s got his faults, but he’s going to ‘work hard’ and make his family and community proud of him.
A collection of tender memories, journeys, and gatherings, Beans on Toast has put together a musical memoir of recent experiences and his hopes for the future. Have a listen to The Toothpaste and The Tube on your favourite streaming platform today.