Cosmo Jarvis Covers Kylie Minogue

A couple of weeks ago, Cosmo Jarvis visited Australia for a whirlwind promo tour and a pair of sold-out shows in Sydney and Melbourne. He also found the time to drop by Triple J to perform on their popular Like A Version segment, which involves guests singing unexpected cover versions. And the 22-year-old raised the bar by taking on Kylie's "Spinning Around". From "Gay Pirates" to Ms Minogue's career-reviving comeback single, Cosmo has displayed exquisite taste and is fast becoming my new fave. His rendition rocks but what drugs are these lame presenters on? Young Talent Time was Dannii's gig and all that talk about the saucy video is unnecessary. Show some respect for your elders! Anyway, that's not the dashingly-handsome Brit's fault. This is awesome and should be used as a B-side somewhere. If you need more Cosmo, here's my review of his Sydney Showcase and an interview I did with him for Channel V.

Cosmo Jarvis - Sydney Showcase

A rooftop in Neutral Bay is probably the last place I ever expected to hear Cosmo Jarvis belt out "Gay Pirates" but that's what happened on Monday night when he performed a six-song showcase for assorted industry types. Like many people, that quirky anthem was my introduction to the scarily talented 22-year-old but since then I've become a huge fan and was excited about his Sydney debut. It got off to a somewhat unconventional start when the Brit played around with his guitar and spent a couple of minutes sorting out the sound settings before launching into the awesome "Sure As Hell Not Jesus" but those tics, which became more prevalent through the show, are part of Cosmo's raw charm. After a note-perfect rendition of that underrated gem, he moved onto "She Doesn't Mind" - one of my favourites from his excellent sophomore album "Is The World Strange Or Am I Strange?" That song never fails to put a smile on my face with its amusing lyrics and unexpected sweetness.

Next up was a new track called "Train Downtown", which Cosmo explained was set in the future - "not 1000 years but maybe 800". It turned out to be a typically idiosyncratic take on human relationships that rang true for me. I can't wait to hear a studio version. Before moving on to his current single "My Day" (below), the singer/director explained that he usually performs the song with a five-piece band but it still sounded great with the trio present. This guy not only has a deceptively strong voice, he's also an extremely accomplished musician. As he proved by picking up a mandolin to sing "Gay Pirates". I interviewed Cosmo earlier in the day - stay tuned for that - and he confided that he's sick to death of singing his tale of gay love on the high seas but it still gets me every time. He closed with "Blame It On Me", which is perhaps the album's weakest moment but I'm not complaining. Cosmo is the real deal and destined for huge things. Get on board now.

Gay Love On The High Seas

When I open a digital promo and read the words "internet sensation", more often than not I just click delete. I have seen way too many deluded 10-year-olds belting out Lady Gaga covers on YouTube to bother with that shit. But there was something different about Cosmo Jarvis. First of all, he's fucking hot. Secondly, his latest single is called "Gay Pirates" and has been given Stephen Fry's seal of approval. So it must be good. And it is. "Gay Pirates" is a romantic sea shanty about gay love on a Pirate ship. Cosmo sings about his affection for Sebastian and the trials they must overcome to stay together. Depressingly, society hasn't changed all that much since the days of piracy and buried treasure - which is why I think the song strikes such a chord with listeners. You could change the setting to love between office workers in any small town in Australia and the story would play out much the same. Only without the gang rape and plank walking. I would hope. Given the song's lyrical content, I was surprised to learn that Cosmo is straight. I guess sometimes you need an outside observer to bring a fresh perspective to a very old story. Brace yourself for the quirkiest gay anthem of 2011.