Beth Orton | ||
| Allmusic Biography : Singer/songwriter Beth Orton combined the passionate beauty of the acoustic folk tradition with the electronic beats of trip-hop to create a fresh, distinct fusion of roots and rhythm. Born in Norwich, England in December 1970, Orton debuted as one half of the duo Spill, a one-off project with William Orbit which released a cover of John Martyns "Dont Wanna Know About Evil." She continued working with Orbit on his 1993 LP Strange Cargo 3, co-writing and singing the track "Water from a Vine Leaf" before appearing with the group Red Snapper on their first singles "Snapper" and "In Deep." In 1995 Orton teamed with the Chemical Brothers for "Alive: Alone," the ultimate track on their Exit Planet Dust LP. After assembling a backing band comprised of double bassist Ali Friend, guitarist Ted Barnes, keyboardist Lee Spencer, and drummer Wildcat Will, she finally issued her 1996 debut EP She Cries Your Name. Her stunning full-length bow Trailer Park, produced in part by Andrew Weatherall, followed later in the year. In 1997, Orton released the superb Best Bit EP, a move toward a more organic, soulful sound highlighted by a pair of duets with folk-jazz legend Terry Callier; the full-length Central Reservation followed in 1999. "Stolen Car" was a moderate hit among college radio and tours across the U.S. were also successful. Three years later, Orton emerged refreshed with her third album Daybreaker. This time around, she collaborated with ex-Whiskeytown frontman Ryan Adams and the Chemical Brothers. In early 2006, Orton released her fourth album, Comfort of Strangers. The 14-song set was recorded in two weeks with producer Jim ORourke and saw her drop her trademark electronic elements for an entirely acoustic sound. After a recording break of six long years, Orton signed to Anti and released the Tucker Martine-produced Sugaring Season in the early fall of 2012 to critical acclaim. Like its predecessor, the album was wholly organic, but, for her next record, 2016s Kidsticks -- also released on Anti -- Orton returned to her electronic roots for the first time in 14 years, co-producing alongside Andrew Hung of Bristol experimental electronic noise duo Fuck Buttons. | ||
 | Album: 1 of 11 Title: Superpinkymandy Released: 1993-11-24 Tracks: 10 Duration: 45:56 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Dont Wanna Know Bout Evil (05:33) 2 Faith Will Carry (06:11) 3 Yesterdays Gone (04:31) 4 She Cries Your Name (05:03) 5 When You Wake (04:11) 6 Roll the Dice (05:45) 7 City Blue (01:29) 8 The Prisoner (04:28) 9 Where Do You Go (03:47) 10 Release Me (04:55) |
 | Album: 2 of 11 Title: Trailer Park Released: 1996-10-14 Tracks: 10 Duration: 59:38 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 She Cries Your Name (04:46) 2 Tangent (07:28) 3 Dont Need a Reason (05:04) 4 Live as You Dream / Sugar Boy (07:20) 5 Touch Me With Your Love (07:26) 6 Whenever (03:54) 7 How Far (04:26) 8 Someones Daughter (04:16) 9 I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine (04:43) 10 Galaxy of Emptiness (10:09) |
| Trailer Park : Allmusic album Review : A folkie for the electronica age, Beth Orton brilliantly bridges the gap between acoustic songcraft and digital dance beats with her extraordinary debut album, Trailer Park. Fusing the plaintive emotional power of the singer/songwriter tradition with the distanced cool of trip-hop rhythms, Orton creates a fresh, distinct, and surprisingly organic sound without obvious precedent; blessed with a warm, ethereal voice capable of adapting comfortably to Spartan folk ("Whenever," a touching cover of the Spector/Greenwich/Barry-penned "I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine"), buoyant pop ("Live as We Dream," "How Far"), and spacy, densely layered electronica ("Tangent," "Touch Me with Your Love"), she shifts gears with remarkable ease, the depth and clarity of her unique perspective connecting even the most disparate tracks together into a unified whole. Simply put, Trailer Park is one of the most promising and innovative debuts of its era. | ||
 | Album: 3 of 11 Title: Best Bit EP Released: 1997-12-14 Tracks: 5 Duration: 24:47 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Best Bit (04:17) 2 Skimming Stone (05:50) 3 Dolphins (04:18) 4 Lean on Me (05:08) 5 Touch Me With Your Love (05:11) |
 | Album: 4 of 11 Title: Central Reservation Released: 1999-03-09 Tracks: 28 Duration: 2:09:57 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Stolen Car (05:25) 2 Sweetest Decline (05:40) 3 Couldn’t Cause Me Harm (04:48) 4 So Much More (05:41) 5 Pass in Time (07:17) 6 Central Reservation (04:50) 7 Stars All Seem to Weep (04:39) 8 Love Like Laughter (03:07) 9 Blood Red River (04:15) 10 Devil Song (05:04) 11 Feel to Believe (04:04) 12 Central Reservation (The Then Again version) (03:58) 1 Someones Daughter (04:00) 2 Sweetest Decline (04:35) 3 Blood Red River (05:01) 4 Pass in Time (07:19) 5 She Cries Your Name (04:11) 6 Devil Song (05:31) 7 I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine (04:50) 8 Stars All Seem to Weep (02:22) 9 I Love How You Love Me (02:39) 10 Precious Maybe (04:06) 11 Stars All Seem to Weep (Shed version) (03:01) 12 Central Reservation (Spiritual Life Ibadon remix) (08:51) 13 Love Like Laughter (demo) (02:00) 14 So Much More (demo) (01:37) 15 Central Reservation (band demo) (04:26) 16 Couldnt Cause Me Harm (demo) (06:34) |
| Central Reservation : Allmusic album Review : On her stunning sophomore album, Central Reservation, Beth Orton slips free of the electronic textures that colored her acclaimed 1996 debut, Trailer Park, stripping her music down to its raw essentials to produce a work of stark simplicity and rare poignancy. With the exception of a pair of Ben Watt-produced tracks ("Stars All Seem to Weep" and a remix of the title cut), Central Reservation rejects synthetic sounds and beats altogether in favor of an organic atmosphere somewhere between folk, jazz, and the blues; the focal point is instead Ortons evocatively soulful voice, which invests songs like "Sweetest Decline" and "Feel to Believe" with remarkable warmth and honesty. Its a risky move creatively as well as commercially -- after all, the club culture was the first to champion Ortons talents -- but it pays off handsomely; for all its brilliance, elements of Trailer Park already feel dated, but the new material possesses a timelessness that recalls the best of Nick Drake or Sandy Denny, with a haunting beauty to match. And while much has been made of the melancholy that pervades her music, ultimately Central Reservation is first and foremost a record about hope and survival; its emotional centerpiece, the seven-minute "Pass in Time" (a spine-tingling duet with legendary folk-jazz mystic Terry Callier), grapples with the death of Ortons mother, but its underlying message of healing and perseverance is powerfully life-affirming -- her music hasnt merely discovered the light at the end of the tunnel, its now bathing in it. | ||
 | Album: 5 of 11 Title: Concrete Sky EP Released: 2002-07-15 Tracks: 4 Duration: 25:09 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Concrete Sky (04:34) 2 Alis Waltz (03:25) 3 Bobby Gentry (05:30) 4 Carmella (Four Tet remix) (11:38) |
 | Album: 6 of 11 Title: Daybreaker Released: 2002-07-16 Tracks: 10 Duration: 51:17 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Paris Train (05:46) 2 Concrete Sky (04:34) 3 Mount Washington (06:27) 4 Anywhere (04:35) 5 Daybreaker (03:55) 6 Carmella (03:36) 7 God Song (05:15) 8 This Ones Gonna Bruise (04:44) 9 Teds Waltz (05:41) 10 Thinking About Tomorrow (06:40) |
| Daybreaker : Allmusic album Review : Largely shorn of the energy and ebullience of the preceding Central Reservation, Beth Ortons third LP cuts a far more somber figure -- Daybreaker sacrifices immediacy for uniformity of mood and emotional tenor, and although its perhaps her most consistent and mature work to date, its also her least engaging, never matching the dizzying heights of her previous efforts even as it consciously avoids past pitfalls. The attention to detail and nuance that colors these ten songs is undeniably impressive, but in forgoing the electronic elements of before in favor of more organic adornments like strings and guitar drones, Ortons lost some of her originality and unpredictability -- shes very much a traditional singer/songwriter now, and though much of Daybreaker is jaw-droppingly beautiful and brutally poignant, somehow the word "traditional" seems all wrong for any qualified assessment of Ortons music. To its credit, the records subtleties blossom over repeated listens, and moments like "Thinking About Tomorrow" and the haunting "Gods Song" rank with Ortons best, but the album as a whole is so relentlessly dour and down-tempo that it never quite takes flight -- which may well be the point, but its not a point well-taken. | ||
 | Album: 7 of 11 Title: The Other Side of Daybreak Released: 2003-09-02 Tracks: 10 Duration: 55:00 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Wikipedia Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Ooh Child (alternate version) (03:53) 2 Thinking About Tomorrow (IPG dub) (05:49) 3 Alis Waltz (03:25) 4 Daybreaker (Four Tet remix) (05:05) 5 Bobby Gentry (05:30) 6 Carmella (Four Tet remix) (11:38) 7 Beautiful World (04:06) 8 Concrete Sky (acoustic) (04:59) 9 Daybreaker (Roots Manuva remix) (04:34) 10 Anywhere (Two Lone Swordsmen remix vocal) (05:57) |
| The Other Side of Daybreak : Allmusic album Review : Singer/songwriter Beth Orton freshened up the somber spirit of her 2002 effort Daybreaker with The Other Side of Daybreak. This mix of treasures culls B-sides, remixes, and rarities from some of Ortons sunnier moments, offering a rosy-colored theme to Daybreaker itself. The chilling remake of the Five Stairsteps "O-o-h Child" is a delightful surprise, while select remixes by Four Tet add an impressive style and vibe to "Carmella" and "Daybreaker." Ortons talent as a singer and songwriter prevent her from falling into any one category. The Other Side of Daybreak proves that. Elements of Ortons fragile presentation yearn to be reshaped, and thats what makes her a star among many. An acoustic version of Ortons soon-to-be classic, "Concrete Sky," captures a brilliant moment from her sold-out show at Londons Royal Albert Hall. Fans will be smitten with Ortons ease as a performer, for this lovely song highlights Ortons natural warmth as an individual and as an artist. The Other Side of Daybreak is an added bonus for Orton loyalists; although Daybreaker wasnt as cohesive as Central Reservation, it should be appreciated in the long run of her blossoming career. | ||
 | Album: 8 of 11 Title: Pass in Time: The Definitive Collection Released: 2003-09-22 Tracks: 24 Duration: 2:01:40 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 She Cries Your Name (04:47) 2 Someones Daughter (03:36) 3 Touch Me With Your Love (05:29) 4 Sugar Boy (04:21) 5 Galaxy of Emptiness (10:09) 6 I Wish I Never Saw the Sunshine (04:43) 7 Best Bit (04:17) 8 The Same Day (04:54) 9 Stolen Car (05:25) 10 Sweetest Decline (05:40) 11 Pass in Time (07:17) 12 Central Reservation (The Then Again version) (03:58) 13 Concrete Sky (04:34) 14 Thinking About Tomorrow (06:40) 1 Central Reservation (Spiritual Life: Ibadan remix) (04:06) 2 Where Do I Begin (06:35) 3 Stars All Seem to Weep (05:10) 4 Safety (02:11) 5 Pedestal (04:57) 6 Dolphins (04:18) 7 Its Not the Spotlight (03:56) 8 Dont Wanna Know Bout Evil (05:33) 9 Where Do You Go (03:47) 10 Water From a Vine Leaf (05:07) |
| Pass in Time: The Definitive Collection : Allmusic album Review : BMG UK gathered nearly all of Beth Ortons brightest moments for Pass in Time: The Definitive Collection. This double-disc set does a decent job presenting Ortons undeniable gift as an artist, and those who are introduced to her for the first time here will be thoroughly impressed. Those longtime fans who already own her first three albums and the Best Bit EP might be puzzled at Pass in Times unfashionably early arrival; however, the 24-song compilation merits the same consideration given to Ortons previous work. The second disc of B-sides, rarities, and remixes is more than enough to warrant attention, for the ten-song selection includes her stunning collaborations with the Chemical Brothers ("Where Do I Begin"), Terry Callier ("Dolphins"), and William Orbit ("Water from a Vine Leaf"). The original B-side to "She Cries Your Name," "Its Not the Spotlight" was exclusively reworked for Pass in Time, but the biggest surprise lies in the inclusion of two tracks from her Superpinkymandy album. With a little nudge from Orbit, Orton first introduced herself with this experimental-dance effort, which was only available in Japan and is now out of print. The glittering electronic twist of John Martyns "Dont Wanna Know Bout Evil" and the gentle humming of "Where Do You Go?" give a glimpse of Ortons pre-commercial solo days. Pass in Time is a worthwhile collection, but the time of its release remains in question. Orton has just gotten started and her work is far from conclusive. | ||
 | Album: 9 of 11 Title: Comfort of Strangers Released: 2006-02-07 Tracks: 14 Duration: 44:43 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic Wikipedia AlbumCover | 1 Worms (02:04) 2 Countenance (02:23) 3 Heartland Truckstop (02:47) 4 Rectify (02:26) 5 Comfort of Strangers (03:18) 6 Shadow of a Doubt (03:58) 7 Conceived (03:27) 8 Absinthe (04:02) 9 A Place Aside (02:19) 10 Safe in Your Arms (04:28) 11 Shopping Trolley (02:51) 12 Feral Children (03:35) 13 Heart of Soul (03:50) 14 Pieces of Sky (03:09) |
| Comfort of Strangers : Allmusic album Review : After 2002s somber and overdone Daybreaker, it seemed possible that Beth Orton was losing the focus and freshness that made her so compelling on Trailer Park and Central Reservation. How nice, then, it is to hear those qualities in abundance on Comfort of Strangers, which Orton recorded in just two weeks with producer Jim ORourke and percussionist Tim Barnes. She was moved to work with ORourke after hearing his eloquently simple Halfway to a Threeway EP, and the folky-yet-sophisticated sound of that release and Insignificance serves as the template for this album, particularly on the slightly twangy "Countenance," which showcases Barnes subtle, intricately shifting rhythms. Likewise, the melding of acoustic and electric guitars and piano on "Heartlandtruckstop" also sounds quintessentially ORourke. Of course, Ortons gorgeous voice and thoughtful lyrics are the stars of Comfort of Strangers, but ORourkes work is arguably as much of a draw as Ortons return is. The title tracks intriguing mix of programmed and acoustic percussion, marimba, organ, and piano and "Conceived"s muted electronics nod to both artists wide-ranging tastes and influences. Though this album is one of Ortons simplest when it comes to sonics, its still quirky and full of personality. Its also surprisingly concise; some songs, like the uncannily Fiona Apple-esque opener, "Worms," feel like barely more than sketches, but thats precisely whats so appealing about them. Without an overcooked, heavily polished production weighing them down, its all the easier to connect with Ortons voice and words, particularly on the quietly strong "Shadow of a Doubt," which, like many of her best songs, radiates a unique sense of hope. Indeed, Comfort of Strangers is a happier -- or at least more hopeful -- work than Daybreaker, even on its most poignant tracks. The feeling of sunlight breaking through the clouds recurs throughout the album, whether its hearing "Feral"s beautifully smoky folk blossom into something bigger and sweeter, or how "Shopping Trolley"s incandescent guitars and propulsive drumming make the song even more buoyant. Even "Safe in Your Arms," one of a small handful of true ballads on the album, moves from bittersweet to uplifting without being overly sentimental. One of the comforts of strangers is the fresh start that they offer. This album could be seen as a fresh start for Beth Orton, and she makes the most of it: as artlessly lovely as a spring day, this is some of her simplest work, and simply some of her best, too. | ||
 | Album: 10 of 11 Title: Sugaring Season Released: 2012-09-28 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:24 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Magpie (04:32) 2 Dawn Chorus (03:23) 3 Candles (03:45) 4 Something More Beautiful (03:27) 5 Call Me the Breeze (03:52) 6 Poison Tree (04:05) 7 See Through Blue (01:54) 8 Last Leaves of Autumn (04:00) 9 State of Grace (04:14) 10 Mystery (04:07) |
| Sugaring Season : Allmusic album Review : Sugaring Season is Beth Ortons first album in six years. Reportedly, she almost gave up music in the interim. Recorded in Portland, Oregon with producer Tucker Martine, the album finds her accompanied by a stellar backing band -- keyboardist Rob Burger, bassist Sebastian Steinberg, and jazz drummer Brian Blade -- as well as a sterling array of guests including guitarist Marc Ribot, violinist Eyvind Kang, and her husband, songwriter and guitarist Sam Amidon, to name a few. The title refers to the time of year when maple trees are "tapped"; gallons of sap are collected, then boiled down to remove their bitterness; the slight remainder is used for maple syrup. Its a metaphor for these ten songs. While Ortons lyrics are as mercurial as ever, there is a sense of a life cycle here. She semi-details travails during a period of waiting and confusion with no clear direction in "Magpie." Its last line offers a darkly tinged surrender: "Silence me and I wont be here anymore." The drama in the tune is picked up by Kangs viola, Blades insistent, syncopated shuffle, and the interplay between Ribots electric guitar and Amidons high-tuned acoustic and her own. Orton took regular lessons with the late Bert Jansch toward the end of his life, and it shows here. Her playing shines throughout. Her singing voice, which has been her trademark since "Central Reservation," is richer, fuller, more assertive here than ever before. "Candles" features her live vocal atop a rehearsal take -- her band didnt know she was taping. The deep register of cello, Burgers slippery electric piano, and Blades brushwork capture the moment of creation perfectly, while her voice is unrestrained in its response. "See Through Blue," with its old-timey waltz arrangement, is a song written for her daughter. This might have been a maudlin moment on the album; its not. Instead, it is sprightly and mellifluous, as Nico Muhlys string arrangement meets Burgers clipped upright piano, with a strolling bassline and her voice shifting gears through her register, from smoky contralto to falsetto. Closer "Mystery" is among the most beautiful songs Ortons ever written. Its elliptical, open-ended, and free of the world-weariness that has often reigned in her singing voice. The song is an offer of solace and comfort. It offers respite as it whispers to a close. Sugaring Season is sophisticated, mature, and rife with quiet passion. Its songs are informed by the struggles inherent in everyday life, but also account for dreams, small triumphs, and the redemptive power of love. It is a most welcome return from exile. | ||
 | Album: 11 of 11 Title: Kidsticks Released: 2016-05-20 Tracks: 10 Duration: 37:34 Scroll: Up Down Top Bottom 25% 50% 75% Spotify TrackSamples Allmusic AlbumCover | 1 Snow (04:12) 2 Moon (04:02) 3 Petals (03:58) 4 1973 (02:53) 5 Wave (03:16) 6 Dawnstar (04:47) 7 Falling (04:22) 8 Corduroy Legs (03:01) 9 Flesh and Blood (05:43) 10 Kidsticks (01:16) |
| Kidsticks : Allmusic album Review : When Beth Orton released Sugaring Season in 2012, she had moved as far as possible from her "folktronica" origins. Shed taken guitar lessons from Bert Jansch, written more formally conventional songs, and used an organic all-star studio band that included Brian Blade, Eyvind Kang, and Rob Burger, with string arrangements by Nico Muhly. Four years on, shes completely re-embraced technology. Kidsticks doesnt reflect the synthesis of folk and electronica she explored with Andrew Weatherall and William Orbit, though. After relocating to Southern California, shes enlisted Andrew Hung of Fuck Buttons and prolific mixing engineer David Wrench (Hot Chip, Caribou, FKA twigs) in delivering her most radical -- and musically playful -- album. This set leaves her acoustic guitar, when present at all, in the background, replaced by layer upon layer of loops, beats, and synths that frame her voice in (mostly) well-crafted, memorable songs. "Snow"s polyrhythmic series of loops recalls Talking Heads circa Remain in Light. Her vocals are delivered with stacked harmonies in call and response atop a whomping bassline, skittering handclaps, and ambient washes. The wonky synths and miniature breakdowns in "1973" wed early Daft Punk to late-70s Kraftwerk as her voice rises dreamily to the top. First single "Moon" features jazz drummer Guillermo Brown and bassist Bram Inscore. They create a propulsive double-time rhythm track that would fill any dancefloor. The melody is pure Orton, but Hung piles on a truckload of extra beats and the cut moves in two directions at once: its lyric is tender and emotional, its sound is hyperkinetic club hedonism. "Petals" and "Dawnstar" contain Ortons distinctive, lived-in voice and simply gorgeous melodies. The former contains a synth drop bass and squalling psychedelic electric guitars in buckets of reverb, while the latter is a spacious 21st century take on Frippertronics loops with a thrumming bass drum, fragmented silvery synths, and string effects. They surround her finest -- and easily most expressive -- vocal on the album. This doesnt all work, however. The wispy spoken word and birdsong effects on "Corduroy Legs" become monotonous after 30 seconds, and the title track closer is an instrumental sketch that falls flat after the romantic, sensual, synthetic pop-soul that is "Flesh and Blood." These are small complaints on a record as exploratory and bracing as this. Kidsticks isnt the sound of Orton closing her circle but opening it wide. In her restlessness and self-discovery, she looks outward and comes away fresh and renewed as a result. | ||