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Review: Cosmo Jarvis-Think Bigger [Album]

Frame/The End Records// An enjoyable journey through a brilliantly silly mind

by BenG_Writes, July 12th, 2012 and has been Read 1298 times.
Last Edited by: Chris MUG5 Maguire July 13th, 2012.

Cosmo Jarvis returns with his third album Think Bigger, and bigger it most certainly is. That doesn't mean the man that made his name singing about 'Gay Pirates' has lost his humour, it's just gone a little deeper than singing about buggery on the high seas.

WATCH // 'Gay Pirates'

Think Bigger brings a new level to Jarvis, his tracks have always been melodious but as soon as you hear first track 'Love This' you realise that this is a real musician, not just a man with a penchant for silly songs.

The album works well as a whole, varying between the bubbly acoustic-pop of 'Tell Me Who To Be' to the serene simplicity of 'Hopeless Bay'. Never settling for a straightforward song, however, Jarvis allows the steady beat of these tracks to sink between an orchestral melody with new instruments popping up at random.

The frequent use of the banjo gives Think Bigger a distinctly 'old country' feel, with 'Lacie' one of the albums stand-out tracks. The wavering voice of Cosmo fits perfectly with its rockabilly sensibilities, the xylophone that surfaces occasionally in the song only adding to its charm.

Similar in style to British folk maestro Beans on Toast, Cosmo Jarvis is a man that can deliver a beautifully worded, musically brilliant track with a straight face but more often chooses to take the piss. This might seem like a waste but in truth it's wonderfully refreshing; every track seems to say deep down "don't take things so seriously", and it does so with a big helping of folk-infused happy-rock.



The whole album is an enjoyable listen, it might not be breaking the musical boundaries but by God it's fun, and that's all you need in music sometimes. Sunshine sounds like an ominous track with the line "I'm so sick of the sunshine" sounding like something rejected from a My Chemical Romance song. But in Jarvis' deft hands Sunshine takes on a whole new dimension, simmering with quiet anger.

The range of genres on show in Think Bigger would subtract from the appeal of other artists, but his versatility in these new areas is laudable, arranging the tracks so there's never too much of a disparity between songs and ensuring the album stays together as a cohesive piece. Think Bigger is a strong effort from the Devon lad, honest but never too serious, and, most importantly of all, an enjoyable journey through a brilliantly silly mind.

Listen // 'Love This'

Think Bigger is released on July 17th, via 25th Frame/ The End Records.

To find out more visit his Facebook here.