Single Review: James Otto – Just Got Started Lovin’ You

Few country fans are all that familiar with James Otto, and may mistake this as his first single, and when the album drops in either late 2007 or early 2008, may mistake it for a debut.  Otto, though, is not new to the game.  He may even look vaguely familiar to CMT viewers, as he was a regular in the series MuzicMafia TV a few years back.  I say vaguely, because this is a James Otto, version 2.0.  No longer the clean cut pretty boy he seemed then, the long haired, bearded Otto is now in a much improved form.  His debut album, Days of Our Lives, didn’t meet any commercial or critical acclaim.  There were some good moments on that project, but all in all, it was dead in the water.  No promotion, and no fanfare.  It did, however, include a song later taken to the top by Brooks and Dunn, If It’s the Last Thing I Do. 

With Just Got Started Lovin’ You, Otto comes into his own, and I hope it foreshadows the rest of the upcoming album.  The sparse, yet adequate musicianship on this song allows Otto’s rich baritone to be the highlight.  He inflicts just the right amount of bluesy grit to the verses, and really cuts it loose just right on the chorus, which is surprisingly catchy.  There is no real revelation in the lyrics themselves, as this theme has been almost overly covered, but Otto’s take is fresh enough to not make it feel like just another manly love song.  Country has always had a great deal of soul, and he does a good job of fusing it all together in this single.  For the first time in his still young career, James Otto has a real chance at chart success here, and the exposure this song could reap would propel him among the top up-and-comers on the Nashville Scene.

Grade:  B+