aaamusic | On 27, Apr 2011

Cosmo Jarvis will release the second track from his forthcoming second album, ‘Is The World Strange or Am I Strange?’, on May 29th in the form of ‘Sure As Hell Not Jesus’.

The single-led EP will be backed by three brand new tracks – “What’s Wrong With Betty (Part I)”, “Road Closed” and “Why Do Angels Make Me Cry?”.
The controversial video for the ‘Sure As Hell Not Jesus’ can be streamed now on YouTube and is a typically well-placed piece of conscious satire from Jarvis’ reputed video canon.

Cosmo Jarvis – Behind The Scenes of ‘Sure As Hell Not Jesus’ from Two Tap on Vimeo.

Some words on the video from the man himself shed some further light on the video’s complicated premise : –

“The video for “Sure As Hell Not Jesus ” is about sexual abuse scandals that have involved the followers and preachers of the catholic faith and its leaders’ frequent, insidious dealings with them. It is also about the pressure that family members of victims, that become aware of the misconduct, sometimes have to endure due to the way in which the powerful sexual perpetrators use the faith of their victims and victims’ families to justify their actions or, in the case of protest or the possibility of a revelation, threaten them with religious penalties. It also glances at the effect on priests of rules introduced by the church forbidding them to partake in sexual intercourse. This is a dumb rule I think, I’m not catholic but a penis does fit in a vagina. I wish that the rules could be changed. We shot it over about five shoot days (some of which were total catastrophes) with most of my crew from ‘ Gay Pirates’ (Dan Broadly D.O.P). Many extras were guys who were up for being involved through my Facebook so thanks to them.”

Cosmo Jarvis – Sure As Hell Not Jesus by Two Tap Digital

“Sure As Hell Not Jesus” will be released alongside three other tracks to form the EP. Following on from the lead track’s inspiring introduction, “What’s Wrong With Betty? (Part I)” is the first measurement of four, leading up to an equally brave interpretation of the album’s closing opus, based on the tales of Cosmo’s imaginary encounters with a night-loving waitress. Third track “Road Closed” finds Cosmo in a far more stripped back and soulful mood, describing the song “about those moments when a person wonders if the possibility of their principles letting them down is enough reason to not go on taking heed of them or if, judging by the amount of previous successes that have derived from those principles, it may be better to hope they steer you right”. Thoughtful indeed. “Why Do Angels Make Me Cry?” closes the EP with a reggae-tinged interpretation of Cosmo’s first love (a certain someone named after a famous jazz musician), harking back to his adolescent thoughts and affirming his more mature resolution through yet another perfected musical style.

Forthcoming live dates
May 1st – Live at Leeds Festival, Leeds
May 13th – Bearded Theory Festival, Derby
July 17th – Larmer Tree Festival, Wiltshire
July 23rd – Secret Garden Party Festival, Huntingdon