Stepping through the looking-glass to a new musical world

I stuck the disc into my CD player the minute I received it, and was instantly transported into 'the World Of Otso'. It's weird. Otso's music defies all convention; 'Keys' and 'time signatures' are alien concepts. Yet, ... ...everything makes sense.It's like Alice going through a crazed looking glass into another world where the normal rules don't apply. An entirely new set of rules do apply and this is where Otso's genius (there, I said the 'G' word) shines. I occasionally get sent CD's to review and I patiently sit through them and make considered opinions. Sometimes, I have to be the bearer of bad news. Sometimes, I strive to be impartial, and very occasionally I get sent a CD that makes me simply forget that I'm supposed to be contemplative, academic and detached. Sod that for a game of soldiers ! This CD is alive ! It captivated my attention from the minute I put it on and still makes me grin like a mad thing weeks later. All sorts of musical genres are covered from pop, through rock and metal to funky blues and gentle contemplation. When listened to at a 'high level', it's understandable, yet when you examine the details up close, you realise that "It's music, Jim but not as we know it". It's like looking at an impressionist painting up close where that woman battling against the wind on the beach suddenly turns out to be a solitary brushstroke of red ochre. DEFINITELY beyond EM. Definitely enjoyable. Great driving music, too ! Playful, joyful, delicate and powerful, this is an album made with, well..............love.

Grant Middleton, Orange Apples page at CD Baby