Otis English

Piano-driven, determined, and with his foot forward, Otis English's debut "Young Kids, Old Love" is a triumphant underdog story come to musical fruition.  English's vulnerability and desperation, seen through the lens of someone going through their 20's and trying to make it work, is compelling at a time when being young, artistic, and broke is harder than ever in America. It works wonders, however, for the creative push in many hungry artists and, in the case of English, it takes him to all-or-nothing, dramatic pop heights. Making it clear that he has no intention of stopping until he takes his last breath, Otis English's upbeat ballad sparks a fire that rages passionately in his composition: hearty piano paired with grandiose drums that barrel on like the ghost of a boy and his snare on an old battlefield. It makes for sweet tension that's gripping in a very wise, articulate fashion.