The Moody Blues

If you were to take The Streets and Badly Drawn Boy, throw them in a jar with a twist of Sublime (pun intended) and shake the hell out of it, you’d end up with a 20-year-old named Cosmo Jarvis.  Don’t be fooled by his age or the bubbly name. Born in New Jersey and raised in the UK, Jarvis is a force to be reckoned with. He has a plethora of songs with different musical styling for any mood, or mood swing. His two-disc album, Humasyouhitch/Sonofabitch, tends to be all over the place, switching its sound at the turn of a hat. At times, it’s hard to keep up with this emotional rollercoaster of a record, but thankfully a mixture of poppy hooks, thought-out verses and undeniable bravado make up for the anxiety that comes just from reading the album title.

That being said, you can’t deny that this kid is real.  His lyrics blend cleverness and melancholy with life experience; a dialect that lets you know Jarvis has been places and seen things.  Songs like “Mommy’s Been Drinking” and “Gone Like You” expose Jarvis’s emotional side.  But don’t think he’s sappy.  He’s quick to lay down tracks like “Wild Humans” and “Sort Yourself Out,” tunes that catch you off guard with their pop infused melodies.  He even has a song paying homage to some of the biggest female celebrities of this decade titled “Jessica Alba’s Number.”

All in all, Cosmo Jarvis is a great young musician who deserves a listen. He won’t be selling out big stadiums on his own any time soon, but there’s bound to be a song you’ll like, or at least enjoy tapping your foot to.