Central Reservation

British folktronica, huh? You know, on paper, I should have disliked this, but I didn't. I didn't really LIKE it either. I just... experienced it. It would be very hard to hate this album. It's just so inoffensive. But that's, to some degree, why it's hard to love it too. It has no sharp edges, pushes no boundaries, and doesn't ask anything of the listener. It just... exists quietly in the corner out of everyone's way. Every track lingers just a little too long and Beth spends just a little too much time singing wordless nothings for no reason. Her voice is excellent. I just wish she was singing something interesting.

If the color beige was an album.

At the expense of noodling, this album is exceptional, especially considering I've never heard of the artist let alone the album. Throughout the album we get a series of emotionally charged tracks with generally gentle and simple arrangements. Orton's voice is gentle and breezy, but on occasion tastes metallic due to the heaviness and tumultuousness of some of the lyrics. Examples would include some of the last few songs on the album, which are in spite of being on an album with no bad songs, probably my favourite part of the record. The album is generally described as a ''folktronica'' work, but I really didn't see a lot of that. With the exception of a few songs like Stars All Seem To Weep and the last track of the album, which is basically the title track remixed. The overarching genre here is folk and to an extent alternative folk. Most songs on the release are longer than 5 minutes, but they all just seem to breeze by since another one the album's major features is its sheer diversity in scope and structure of the songs at hand. You never feel like a song has been rehashed (last track aside) or repeated. The arrangements are always simple but more is less here. Undeniably one of the most underrated singer/songwriter albums of the 90s. In a world of musicians and singers like Alanis Morissette, Fiona Apple, Sinead O'Connor, Tori Amos and PJ Harvey, this gem seemed to have slipped under the radar. Let's change that. 10/10

Another album that I can't even remember listening to. Dull.

This album feels like going out for the day with your mom for a day when you are 7, and while you've long since forgotten what you did, you remember what it felt like. Being softly cradled and warmed by some soft and immutable force that you'll never be able to articulate, but one we've all felt. Beautiful use of Orton's soft, slight and occasionally wailing voice. The arrangements are never dense, but soft and ones that lull and lightly pull you to keep listening. Like soft pirouettes in a slowly dying house. Beth Orton gives us rest in the quiet in-betweens of life. These simple memories that we are forgetting, but somehow it feels comforting to do so. Childhood ended, we've moved on, but that deep yearning never will. (7/10, may end up as an 8 if I keep listening)

Can see why it was called Modern Sounds, the big band feel, makes it bright, sharp and punchy. None of these tracks sound like Country and Western songs, so I'm assuming they are standards/classics in C&W which makes Charles reinterpretation of them so striking, he's placing a big band aesthetic over them, making them feel new and impactful. Charles has great phrasing, he can stretch and hold a note so well. Not many words in some of the lyrics, but he lets them float over the music. He also hold and bend notes so well, to fit to fill the phrasing and tempo of each song. More a fan of the uptempo numbers, but the slower ones show off the versatility of Ray’s voice/tone.

Unnnngh big nostalgia bump for this album - takes me straight back to uni. I think I'd still give it 5 stars even without the familiarity, but who can say? Fave track - "Stolen Car" - such a fantastic album opener. The title track is great too...

So glad I got this recommendation today firstly because it’s a good album but also I’ve had a run of sub-par music from female artists on here and was feeling sexist. Bad bits: sometimes veers off into quite poor trip-hop production, and that near-shout middle part of her voice wears a bit after a while. That’s it though, the rest l like a lot. It definitely wanders as an album, and in this case I like that, it meanders gently. When singing softly her voice is beautiful and in few places she stretches her vocals quite powerfully. Most of the songs are thoughtful and atmospheric and in “Pass in time” really quite moving.

This was interesting. I wasn't really feeling it for the most part until I took a nap in the corner of an empty classroom in between classes, and then it hit different. Do with that information what you will.

What a voice, what a singer, what a record. And what a concept – break her out of full trip-hop constraints and watch the music soar in charming and humane directions. The light-touch production throughout is a major plus, allowing the mix of acoustic instruments and electronica/chill touches its full effect. The upbeat songs are playful, even frolicsome, and the ballads fully affecting and almost touching at times. "Sweetest Decline" is perfectly lovely, both title cuts are richly melancholic and "Pass In Time" utterly inspirational. The album lags late, it must be admitted but the peaks are too good for the overall effect to be much diminished. One admits a deep engagement with this and her other early records upon their release and during a particularly meaningful (certainly changeful) and mostly happy time of one's life – maybe even the best and most meaningful. That counts of course, but the music retains nearly all its warmth and many merits. Few artists had a better run than Beth O during those millennial-straddling years and her record of just a year or two ago suggest her ongoing power.

I normally love this type of music. But I kept losing interested. There are splashes of stuff I really dig, but then it would be back to various vocalizations and “vibes” I wasn’t vibing to. 2.5/5

Extremely soft, it's rich with smooth and nice melodies. Most songs take their time but almost all of them reward with substantial dividends. There's an icy, mournful and timeless quality to Orton's voice, particularly when the tracks are more natural sounding. I don't think there was a weak moment, save for my opinion of the ending of "Devil Song" being slightly unfulfilling. Beth fits my tastes, and I blame my ignorance for letting her early efforts pass me by.

Vulnerable but strong.

90s coffee shop realness

Beth Orton nouus offre un superbe album qui fait du bien après la daube country offerte par Emmylou juste avant. Il est bon de rapeller que tout cela n'aurait pu arriver sans l'intervention de ce bon vieux William Orbit. Ce dernier a en effet vite abandonné la musique après son exécrable album entrevu il y a quelques mois de cela, pour se reconvertir dans la contrebande de cigarettes. A cette occasion, il rencontrera une Beth Orton des plus dévergondée dans une soirée de bas-étage londonienne, et finira par la lancer dans la musique. Le succès ne vint pas immédiatement pour Beth, les productions techno d'Orbit venant ruiner sa superbe voix, mais après quelques années et une séparation des plus attendues, Beth pu nous offrir ce superbe album non entâchée de la présence du parasite Orbit.

some songs were misses for me but the ones I liked, I really liked!!! will be revisiting this album in the future, it might grow more on me. stars all seem to weep is my favorite!!!

A real nostalgia listen - I love Central Reservation

I really love Beth Orton's voice and delivery. Stolen Car is an absolutely amazing song, her voice carries a great melancholy and passion. Central Reservation and Stars All Seem to Weep really stand out as well. Much of the rest does have a samey feel, but the vibe is great.

Lovely voice. It feels very contemplative and peaceful.

Beth Orton once described Van's Astral Weeks as album 'that has been willed into being' which I thought was a lovely turn of phrase. She draws upon a similiar poetic sensibility to deliver this fantastic album (Sweetest Decline is a song straight out of the Van playbook)

“Beth Orton is a name that’s been on my radar over the years,” I thought earlier today, before listening to Central Reservation. If you’ve read enough music magazines over the course of the last 25 years, there are a lot of names that might end up on your radar, so it wasn’t really a surprising thought for me to have. “Oh wait…did Beth Orton sing on “All I Need” and “You Make it Easy” from Air’s Moon Safari?” I thought while listening to the first few tracks on my drive home. “I’ll have to Google that when I get to the house”. “Nope, that was Beth Hirsch, you dummy,” I said to myself as I was proven wrong by Google and came to the realization that I have no idea about Beth Orton at all. Right about now, I’m sure you’re like, “Wow, what an interesting story, dumbass.” …and you’re right, it’s not interesting. Point is, maybe I come off as a know-it-all sometimes, but really I’m just a “don’t-really-know-anything-at-all” most of the time and I’m willing to bet some of you suffer from that affliction too. So when I tell you that this is a great record, with beautiful instrumentation to match Beth Orton’s beautiful voice, even if it feels a little dated in a few spots, you should trust that I know what I’m talking about. Or, maybe I don’t. …why is this record making me have an existential crisis right now? I gotta go….I’ll talk to you tomorrow.

It’s okay, not too good. Very folky and electronic, her vocals are a bit annoying in some parts, not very soothing. Some songs are fun to listen to, I think I would recommend listening to it because it is an enjoyable experience. 6.9/10.

Beth Orton creates a very playful, warm, delicate and pleasant sounding record with Central Reservation. The production is stellar, the lyrics are touching and Beth's voice is incredible. If there are things to criticise, it has to do with the editing process, non-lexical vocals, and very sparingly, a lack of energy or focus. Some tracks went on for too long. This was especially noticible on So Much More and Pass In Time, with the last two minutes dragging on and introducing nothing new. While most of the record is extremely well produced, Feel To Believe is not up to standard. Lastly, I am not a great fan of the jazzy "la la la" or "da da da", as they are the greatest reason for some tracks not elevating themselves to more than being background, chamber pop. Bonus points for the futuristic elements on Stars All Seem To Weep, which reminds me of Portishead's best. A solid 3/5, just shy of reaching 4/5.

I liked her wistful way of singing, perhaps for one song at a time. I don't love a whole album of her voice. Her songs are pretty but aside from "Stolen Car," nothing really stands out to me.

High-quality beige wave is my after-one-minute review. This passed through my evening with the apologetic air of a vicar’s fart, but it did awaken a lost craving: I time for some Butthole Siurfers.

Dull. I even listened to this in a hipster coffee shop and felt nothing

Solid mildly pleasant folk pop. 5/10

Lost touch with Beth Orton after her early success but on this record I should have stuck with her. Really enjoyable, thoughtful and tuneful stuff. Best song Stolen Car.

This album is gorgeous. Beth Orton’s voice is incredibly versatile and can break through anything making the listener hang onto every word. She is known as a folktronica artist, but I found this album to be solidly in the folk category except for a few songs on the back half of the album. I can see how this influences later artists in the 2000s and 2010s when folktronica really came into its own.

I may regret giving this a 5 instead of a 4 but I'm going to. This type of album just really hits me. Love this electric folk style and then more acoustic in the second half. Beth's voice is one of my favorites to listen to and the lyrics are very strong

Really liked this - need to listen again

Brings me back to San Francisco 1999 Golden Gate Park

Very good

Das ist das perfekte Album um ein einem Anruf das nicht regnet den Tag bei ein paar Sachen spazieren zu gehen melancholisch und doch optimistisch. Kurz gesagt einfach gut ich überlege fünf Sterne zu geben. Inkl. Bonus für die Überraschung

This was a very, very good album! I especially liked the “Feel to Believe” track but every other song was equally amazing! 9-10/10

This is an absolutely top-tier singer-songwriter album in my eyes. Real feeling an emotion behind the vocals, simple but beautiful hooks, and and evokes calm with some tracks and raw vulnerability with others. I'd never heard of Beth Orton before this, but this record makes me want to research her discography much deeper. Notable Tracks: - Stolen Car - Couldn't Cause Me Harm - Pass in Time - Central Reservation - incredible song - Feel to Believe 9/10

Fantastic! What a surprise. I don’t know who she is or how I missed listening to her in the past.

Fajne

I loved this album when it first came out, and still love it now. Full of emotion, desperation... just a brilliant album altogether. Orton's voice is fantastic and the whole album just sits together beautifully.

One of my all time favorite artists and one of her best albums. I hope everyone enjoys this as much as I do.

Great album, I really enjoyed this. My first listen was at the beginning of the day and it was nice to drift in and out of sleep with. The second listen was just as good, but awake.

Totally new to me. Rather enjoyed it!

Really great. I had previously known her only for her collaboration with Beck on No Expectations.

I listened to it twice, then I let it roll on the background for a while to keep me company.

Folktronica! Who knew that was a thing??? Well I do know. This album feels like Joni Mitchell meets some 90s electronic music. The biggest difference is that the songs here don’t rely on Beth’s voice too much. Her voice is really good, but there are many layers supporting it. This is one of those that make doing the 1001 worth it…the unexpected discovery.

brilliant

I fell for Beth Orton the first time I heard She Cries Your Name in '96. Seen her live so many times, Acoustic Stage at Glastonbury '97, Union Chapel, Shepherds Bush Empire, an upstairs room in some random London pub, some venue near Southbank with Johnny Marr on guitar that was cut short when some wanker set off the fire alarm, and a church in Auckland. She never disappoints. All hail the Queen of Comedown!

This Lilith fair headliner is my favorite.

Love Beth Orton❣️🤩 9 1/2 out of 10!!!

Very relaxing. Not quite as much trip-hop and electronica as I was hoping for, but still an excellent listen. I had heard of her before but had never listened to any of her material. 5/5.

This album had constant rotation for years and that only stopped when it was stolen.

Went back and forth with my opinion on this one for a while, but then the album shed the -tronica part (with it, as a genre, there was and is much more exciting stuff around) and it became a Five. Reminded me of listening to Suzanne Vega's '85 debut (album #9), a 15 years younger 90ies version of it, just without the great sensation of discovery, but I can't hold this against the music. Which is lovely.

This has been a special album to me since my first listen. The haunting sounds simply captivate me on all levels. A true classic.

Just beautiful.

Excellent album for the morning or relaxing. 1/27/24

Really liked this. Never heard of her before, will listen to more.

Enjoyed a lot

absolute HEAT! - 10/10

Really good album. Reminded me a little of Sharon Van Etten. Would listen to again.

What a beautiful record

Musically it reminds Bruce Springsteen a bit. Generally very beautiful and interesting album, I ended up listening to it the whole week😁

This one was a big surprise, since I never heard of this artists before. Definitely listening to the whole thing again.

I LOVE

This is just such a gorgeous thing. Even today, almost 25 years since I first heard it, 'Sweetest Decline' and 'Central Reservation' can still send shivers down my back and move me to tears

Amazing album

Beautiful vocals - missed most of the lyrics and definitely a second listen required. Great mix of electronic/folk in the first half of the album, then dropping down to just simple guitar and vocals.

Thank you random number generator for steering away from the hateful gangster rap I'm still trying to forget and providing this welcome change of pace. I was immediately in love with that opening track, and then it was mostly songs to love and a few to like unfolding before me. What a lovely, jazzy way to spend the afternoon.

I found this album to be an absolute delight. Gorgeous. Now, on the first listen there was a window of two or three tracks that started to drag on me just a little...I think it seemed like too much melancholy or something. On the second and third listen, I didn't have the same reaction, so I guess it was my changing mood.

really beautiful, great songwriting too!

Strong opening track, this is my kind of music

This really surprised me. It's not my normal fare, but I found myself captivated. Best new discovery so far, just over 200 albums in!

completely new artist to me, and a real revelation. i love the folk-electronic anachronism of the whole thing, and combined with a lovely singing tone and really beautifully bleak lyrics, this was just great.

Lilith Fair-core. I don’t say that disparagingly. I first encountered Beth Orton when she replaced Liz Phair as the support on Alanis Morrisette’s recent world tour which I found a huge disappointment. I now put that down to her not being an artist well suited to massive venues. This album is a masterpiece. Listened to it walking through Glasgow Green and noticing the trees were all finally coming back. Pure bliss.

idk yet

A nice album, reminded me a lot of the PJ Harvey album I heard before, but with a couple less memorable tracks. I really like Stars All Seem to Weep

Very mellow

Beautiful

Zeemzoet zweven zonder zorgen

Wow, she's fantastic! This is a solid album. Had not heard of her or heard any of her music before. I like her style, her writing, and her voice. Great songwriting, too. She shows some real range of expression on this album. Very cool.

A lovely album. Beth Orton sings with an emotional depth that is extremely satisfying. The arrangements are pretty spare and organic sonuding and help to keep her voice and lyrics the star of the show. There is some lovely acoustic guitar and the whole album is beautifully rendered. 4 stars

Masterful

Great voice. No expectations, very pleasant listening. I don't know anything about her EDM roots but this made me curious for more.

Rakastan tätä levyä. Olin unohtanut, miten paljon. Kuuntelin Beth Ortonia paljon vuosituhannen vaiheessa ja vähän myöhemmin, sittemmin siirryin kuuntelemaan enemmän Cat Poweria, joka osui mulla ikään kuin samaan tarpeeseen. Ei siis mitenkään niin, että Cat Power olisi mitenkään parempi kuin Beth Orton, lähinnä sattumaa tämä. Ehkä Beth Orton on jopa hieman parempi.

Quite easy listening, sounds good for a lazy morning with a coffee. Can imagine this playing in a coffee place too. Quite like the voice of Orton.

My favorite of hers. She had a unique and distinctive sound in her early stuff that she went away from in her later work.

Top 3 Songs: 1 - Sweetest Decline (2) 2 - Central Reservation (6) 3 - Feel to Believe (11)

Delightful.

I loved her voice, I loved the production this was very good 8,8/10

Bloody lovely

Ganz nett

Really enjoyed this album. Great voice.

Reminds me of the 90’s

4 out of 5, but an unsteady one - from obvious gems to some mediocre proto-hipster-bullshit. But a release with Love Like Laughter, Stolen Car and Couldn't Cause Me Harm on it cannot be bad in any case.

Love it!

This is the first time listening to an album on this list from an artist I previously knew nothing about revealed something I really enjoyed. This is a beautiful album, I was particularly taken with Stolen Car. It feels earnest in a way most albums just aren't able to achieve.

Very nice, but washed over me. Nothing to make me sit up and listen, no standout songs, just consistently nice.

Preferred the upbeats tunes, but overall not bad

Not too bad actually

Tell you what was the bomb. This album. Beautiful voice and the production sounds really familiar, like the cranberries. Or that tune 'I can't breathe until ur ass is here with me, I can't hide.' u know on love actually soundtrack is that her, fuck?

Jazzy, folky, well composed. Feels sincere