Fini Bearman: Last Night of the World

As professor of Jazz Voice and Songwriting at London's Guildhall School, Fini Bearman naturally incorporates songwriting exercises into her teaching. Over time, some of the songs born from these sessions evolved into fully realised pieces, several of which now appear on her fifth album, Last Night of The World.

Bearman brings an impressive jazz pedigree to the project. A celebrated singer, composer, and instrumentalist, she has earned nominations for London Jazz Singer of the Year from the Global Music Foundation, as well as a Deutsche Jazz Preis for Vocal Album of the Year. With this latest release, she steps beyond her jazz roots, embracing a broader singer-songwriter approach. While the intricate harmonies and rhythmic sophistication of jazz remain, they are now woven together with strong elements of pop and folk, allowing her lyrics to take centre stage.

She is supported by a core trio of pianist Tom Cawley, bassist Robin Mullarkey and drummer James Maddren, along with several guest musicians, all combining to form a formidable musical ensemble. The songs are all tightly arranged but still leave some space for improvisation, with Bearman describing the album as her "very best work to date."

Opening with the urgent groove of "Rise Up," Bearman offers the first of her many unpredictable lyrical and musical turns with tenor saxophonist George Crowley bursting in with a driving solo. The slower tempo of the title track provides a contrast; Bearman's warm voice is multi-tracked, ably supported by Cawley's piano with Mullarkey moving to acoustic guitar.

Coupled with her swirling vocals, the memorable melody and achingly sad lyrics of "Plz Call" is a standout, enhanced by violin, cello and Al Cherry's acoustic guitar. Another highlight, "Stay Away from Me," has bright folk/pop guitar rhythms brilliantly contrasting against the dark nature of the lyrics. "The Only One" is another exercise in beautifully forged songwriting.

London's geographic influence surfaces in various tracks. "OKR" features multi-tracked vocals complemented by Gareth Lockrane's exceptional flute work, while "Violent Universe" soars with Matt Calvert's electric guitar solo; both compositions are firmly rooted in London locations. The strong sense of place continues in "WWEMA?" as it builds from an intimate a cappella vocal to a climax highlighted by Gwilym Simcock's piano. Elsewhere, "Mud" has vocals that echo a strong Joni Mitchell influence.

The production is slick, occasionally veering towards the overly glossy, perhaps as a result of being recorded at multiple locations, but this is a minor quibble when the quality on offer here is so high. These distinctly individual songs showcase a range of emotions. Unafraid to show vulnerability through her lyrics, Bearman brings you into her orbit with her elegantly constructed songs. She tells stories, nestling a variety of styles and approaches within interesting harmonic structures in this accomplished collection of songs.

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