Nashville, TN   The stakes seemed higher this time around for Carey Ott. The Nashville singer/songwriter’s full-length solo debut album, Lucid Dream, hit all the right notes with both fans and critics in 2007, but when Ott began working on his follow-up release, he felt compelled to connect with his listeners on a more personal level. "I knew I didn't want to make another record about just me and my life," Ott explains. "I wanted to empathize and reach out and have something more to talk about, besides ‘my music’ and ‘my album’ and ‘my life.’" Thus was born Human Heart, Ott’s second full-length album, set for release on November 23.

"I want to start a dialog about people and issues and causes that I'm passionate about," says Ott, who got his start with the Chicago-based rock quartet Torben Floor. "I want to give back." Ott sets this benevolent tone right from the jump on Human Heart, filling the album with an endless wave of poignant and honest lyrics to match his superb melodies. "These are songs of gratitude for everything I've been given," Ott says, and he’s determined to give it all right back with uplifting tracks like "Be Honest," "Just Happy" and "Ain’t No Upside," three highlights from the album’s engaging 20-song set. "Include Carey Ott on a short list that includes Ron Sexsmith, Neil Finn and Josh Rouse," writes Ken Micallef from HARP Magazine, "sensitive, crafty souls whose ways with words pull us in like fireflies."

The comparisons range from the likes of Rouse and Finn to The Beatles, Radiohead and David Gray, but Ott has managed to cultivate his own unique sound and artistic style. A multi-instrumentalist who could also list composer, engineer, producer, painter, teacher and poet on his résumé, Ott hopes the music on Human Heart serves as more than just ear candy to his listeners. "A lot of these songs started as me giving myself advice, like some wiser part of me speaking through the songs," he says. "Now I feel compelled to start following some of that wisdom, and encouraging others to join me."

For more information, visit CareyOtt.com/humanheart!