Beardyman: I Done a Album - review

I Done a Album sees Brighton beatboxer Beardyman (Darren Foreman) utilising his talent for the comedic to make the transition from live showman to recording artist. Irreverent skits, rambunctious beats and a host of characters populate this noisy debut, and Beardyman manages to create memorable personalities and original sounds. The dubstep-cum-Gypsy-folk of Vampire Skank is fun, but the humour thins out on the album's second half, in favour of a more staid attempt at breaks-filled instrumentals. These tracks lack the animation of the character-driven first half, and reveal a tension between Beardyman's roles as entertainer and serious beatmaker. I Done a Album manages to capture the hyperactive energy of Foreman's live performances, but with 20 tracks pushing it just over the hour mark, it feels too drawn out.