Is the World Strange or Am I Strange?

iTunes Review

Cosmo Jarvis is a bit confounding. Novelty artist? Frat-boy rocker? Before you go screaming from the room, we hasten to answer “No!” Jarvis (Jersey-born and England-raised) is an immensely talented artist who may just be having a hard time deciding what to be when he grows up. There’s a bit of neo-folk dark humor here (“Gay Pirate,” “Let Me out of My Head”), sharply written pop (“Blame It on Me,” bubbling with mandolin and washboard; “She Doesn’t Mind,” a faux ska-flavored number), solid, guitar-driven indie rock (“Sure as Hell Not Jesus,” “My Day”), and even scattered bits of rap that show off Jarvis’ strong rhyme skills (a real standout on the soulful “Is the World Strange”). He’s all over the style map, but the songs are airtight, his voice is rock-star-in-the-making perfect, and he’s clearly got a lot to say. Perhaps exorcising some of his musical personalities now will help him find the one that speaks best. We’re rather fond of the straightforward, clever artist singing about the “Wrong Kind of Happy” as the album closes, but maybe an amalgam of Mr. Jarvis’ many sides is a thing to consider.