aaamusic | On 17, Jan 2011

‘Gay Pirates’ is the first single from the new Cosmo Jarvis album ‘Is the World Strange or am I Strange?’ (Scheduled for release late March 2011). The album marks Cosmo’s development from teenage talent to infallible tour de force.

‘Gay Pirates’ tells the story of two male lovers facing extreme discrimination in the inhospitable and far from accepting social climate of the pirate heyday. The single is about the triumph of love against all odds and obstacles; very graphic in lyrical detail, it creates a shocking image of a time buried in history.

‘Gay Pirates’ however remains a very catchy number full of Cosmo’s usual finesse and accomplishment, but above and beyond that, the single embodies a definite evolution in his work. This is a single that was not designed simply to appeal to a particular audience but seeks to challenge the ignorance of today’s society by illustrating the horrors of the past. In fact, with ‘Gay Pirates’, Cosmo has undertaken and executed something very different.

The single is certainly a love song, let’s get that straight, but it challenges the conventions that define what a love song is. This is a song written for a definite reason, and aside from being vintage Cosmo, it is focussed on breaking down the homophobic residue that still remains today; hundreds of years after the glimpse of society he exposes in the song. There is a shocking quality to the lyrics that really imprint on the imagination.

‘Gay Pirates’ seeks to address prejudice by getting the listener involved with the subject matter on an almost subconscious level. The song begs you to dance and sing-along before a reflection on the worth of the lyrics. But all that aside, it is simply a wonderful pop song that lifts the spirits.