Reviews (page 3 of 8)
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
Love this sound. Very haunting voice
She has a very captivating voice and this is a nice, melancholic set of songs. I particularly like the strings on Sweetest Decline, and the electronic elements on Stars All Seem to Weep. The folktronica thing doesn't feel like a gimmick, it seems a pretty natural addition to the sound. Chilled out and enjoyable
Pretty good. Nice vibe.
Very good singer-songwriter music with a bit of an edge. Stolen Car is an excellent opening song.
This was great. Some parts were morose, but not in a way that dampened my listening experience. I hear great sincerity in the vocals (particularly in “feel to believe” and “devil song”). It’s possible I could get to a 5 if I spent more time with this.
Never heard of Beth - too bad. Could've been listening to her for years. Nice
No real amazing songs but very good all around.
Lovely little record for a Thursday
Really enjoyable listening, reminded me of a slightly less rich version of Sarah McLachlan.
7/30/24. First time hearing about Beth Orton, very good folk style music blended with some electronica. She has a great voice as well! Will revisit for sure.
Jewel vibes here. Didn’t change my world but I liked it.
Orton has a beautiful voice and this album is non-offensive, nostalgic, and heart-stringy. I’m not sure I’ll listen again, only because I’m not a big fan of folk or music with a big lyrical focus. Definite talent though and I don’t hear any reason why this album shouldn’t be on this list.
I went to see Beth Orton on a lark in the early 00s. She was promoting her album Daybreaker at the time and it ended up becoming one of my favorite albums at that time. I wish more people knew about her. Great stuff on this album, including “Stolen Car” and the title track. Two of her best.
this album is exactly what i want to sound and look like. Slugged a little bit towards the middle but overall love love love. 1.) Stolen Car 2.) Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) 3.) Stars All Seem To Weep
Mjög þægileg plata. Gamall hljómur í nútímalegum búningi.
4.0
The handful of electronic productions have dated badly but this is largely excellent. Lovely surprise!
A lovely folktronica romp.
Had a good time listening to this album. It’s solemn, heartfelt, and touching. Love her voice. Kind of reminded me of Animal Crossing music with the vibe. Quieter music. Standouts: Stolen Car, Couldn’t Cause Me Harm, Pass in Time, Central Reservation -Original Version, Stars All Seem to Weep, and Blood Red River.
First time hearing this artist, hadn’t heard of her until this. Good writer, great voice, cool Brit folk music
June 24, 2024 HL: "Sweetest Decline", *Pass in Time*, title track, "Stars All Seem To Weep", "Blood Red River" Two things are true: I haven't really listened to Beth Orton before & I have this on CD because I recognized it from the book Dr. John keeps popping up in this list in unexpected ways (this, Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space), and I'm all for it. Also, Ben Harper on guitar?? (saw him live a while back with Charlie Musselwhite; not sure which songs have him in them [edit: "Stolen Car", "Love Like Laughter"]) Guest stars out of the way, I really like Orton's style; it's rootsy, but proceeds in a freewheeling, dreamy way. The songs themselves have a timeless quality about them, even though the downtempo/folktronica elements date the album to the 90s.
As always, I head into any album longer than 45 minutes with some amount of trepidation, especially on singer-songwriter joints. Beth Orton's beautiful voice and thoughtful writing helped me settle in right away. There are some notes of Britpop in these songs; maybe it's the use of strings, or the way she paces her melodies. Her voice reminds me of some fusion of Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morissette. I want to listen to this album while driving up north; I want to listen to it on a cabin deck looking at a lake; I want to listen to it while dusting my home and feeling some kind of way. It's lovely. Highlights: Stolen Car, Sweetest Decline, Couldn't Cause Me Harm, Pass In Time, Central Reservation (what guitar tones!), Love Like Laughter
Some nice folky music. After listening to it a few times none of the songs stood out to me, but I like folky music so it gets a bump.
Very vibey. Favourites: stolen car, couldn't cause me harm, stars all seem to weep, love like laughter. Very sonically coherent and enjoyable to listen to. 4/5
This sounds great. I love many of the songs, has a very comforting sound with some chill beats. Some songs were a little more on the boring and bland side, but I didn't really mind as they served as nice background sound while I agonized over looking for a co-op. I'm not sure whether my music taste is expanding the more I listen to these albums, but I have been more or less been really liking the recent ones. My favourite songs were Stolen Car, Sweetest Decline, Pass in Time, Stars All Seem to Weep, Feel To Believe, and Central Reservation - The Then Again Version. Very nice, high 4
It's a great album. I first became aware of her listening to a radio show called Acoustic Sunrise which was a pre-dawn show of acoustic music on WNRN (probably still happening). And this is a great commercial free radio station to stream BTW. Anyhow, her vocals are an acquired taste that I just so happen to enjoy-- because they are unusual. The title track and the one electronica style song are the real show stoppers and earned her applause. All her albums are great. Worth a deep dive.
Beth Orton sounds like what happens when you tell Delores O'Roidan of the Cranberries to make an album for Lilith Fair. After some reading, turns out Beth Orton played every iteration of Lilith Fair so that tracks. She sounds like a British Natalie Merchant...right up to Stars All Seem to Weep which definitely could have been plucked from an Everything but the Girl album. Overall, this feels like an album I should have/would have loved had I found it in 1999.
Beautiful. Peak '90s female singer-songwriter vibes, a product of it's time for sure, and I don't feel like I was ever the target audience for this recording. Still, this album is worth a repeated listen. Simple arrangements, but very pretty and well recorded. I didn't dig into the lyrics too much, but what I heard of them was also lovely. Four stars.
I had loved the track Stolen Car for a long time but didn't know much else about/by BO. Really liked the rest of it and was surprised it wasn't as 90s northwest American music as I assumed it would be (not sure why I assumed that). This is downright Americana. Dare I say Lyle Lovettish? Certainly more Sheryl Crowe than Suzaane Vega. 3.5 starts rounding up to 4.
Stolen Car is on my playlist, so 4/5. Other songs are mixed
My initial thought was her vocals sound so similar to a bunch of other lady singer/songwriters, what makes her stand out and worth listening to, but I am trying not to let that distract me from her talent as a singer and songwriter. This is another 3.5 rounding to 4 and while I appreciate the album, I don't think it's something I would choose to listen to more.
What a refreshing sound! She sounds like no one else that I can compare to. I quite enjoyed it!
Otra grata sorpresa. Me recuerda a Natalie Merchant, pero un poco más moderna. Al final me cansa un poco el disco, pero le daré un 4.
4.25
Another artist I have heard of yet had never pursued listening to one of their albums. I thought Beth Orton was more electronica than this. This is incredibly pleasant music and I recall seeing this album cover all of the time. This music is not like Norah Jones' music, but if Norah Jones was an actually interesting artist and not merely an effective sleeping tool then this is what she would sound like. Stolen Car and Central Reservation are the standouts for me. Not sure I would visit the album again, but I am glad it was on the list.
Really enjoyed this album. Every song feels melancholy and comforting at the same time. Very relaxing and reflective listen. Top tracks: Stolen Car, Central Reservation, Stars All Seem to Weep
An album I vaguely remember from the time, but wasn't able to listen to in full (because streaming wasn't a thing!), and I now wish I had! Wears her influences on her sleeve, which is no bad thing, and I can hear echoes of her in some of the singer songwriters that have followed.
Allemaal relaxte singersongwritercountry, het soort muziek dat je zondagochtend opzet bij een bakkie leut. Trekt weinig aandacht, maar mag er wezen.
I had heard Love Like Laughter in a playlist about a little life of all things, and I had already liked that song. Good vibes, good songs, will listen again next time I feel like romanticizing my life or whatever
The two leads (Central Reservation/Stolen Car) are five star tracks. The rest of the album is solid, but there are definitely a couple of album tracks. Has a sentimental value for me, too.
I really enjoyed this. I like her arrangements. I’ll listen again.
Really enjoyed the opening track, Stolen Car. So much more - brilliant Central Reservation - excellent Not a perfect album, but enough to warrant a very good 4 star
This album took me so long to review, partly because I really do not enjoy the opening three tracks. You’re not getting a whole lot a variety here and that’s the major criticism, there’s no edge to the music. However Beth’s vocals are haunting and beautiful and the background melodies are equally as well composed even if it can find itself sounding all very similar. Despite this I found myself going back to this over and over again, it’s indescribable. Yes it sounds the same and it’s not got enough edge to it, but it’s just so nice on the ears. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this album for good or bad. The most confused 4 stars I can give.
This came out of nowhere, really good album!
While I was listening to the second track on the album, I came across multiple reviews on this website that mentioned nostalgia. Now, they were probably referring to the nostalgia they felt about when this album first came out, but I still wanted to see if it could evoke that sense in me; someone who only yesterday found out this album existed. So I leaned back as far as I could in my chair, closed my eyes, let me mind wander to earlier times... And it unlocked the rest of the album for me. Now, that doesn't let this escape the fact that this album is still too damn long (CD era bloat!), but, y'know, otherwise...
Nr. 135/1001 Stolen Car 4/5 Sweetest Decline 4/5 Couldn't Cause Me Harm 3/5 So Much More 3/5 Pass In Time 3/5 Central Reservation 4/5 Stars All Seem to Weep 3/5 Love Like Laughter 4/5 Blood Red River 4/5 Devil Song 3/5 Feel to Believe 4/5 Average: 3,55 Really cool British folktronica. Liked here voice and the atmospheric instrumentation.
Just really a first rate album. Good from start to finish. There's nothing in it that is a massive hit, but it's just consistently listentoable.
Great album. Orton feels like a fragile bird. I mean, her singing brings that to mind. I would like to state for the record that 1. I have never felt Beth Orton in any way, shape or form. 2. My experience of handling fragile birds is limited to picking them up off my deck when they careen into my windows. Perhaps this album should have been called "My my, those tree reflections look tempting, let's rush headlong towards them." Great songwriting; listen if you are feeling melancholy; listen for Andrew Weatherall's masterful production, bringing electronica into folk with seemless fluidity; Ben Harper's awesome guitar solo.
Great trip hop folktronica. I especially love Beth's voice thru out.
Like Dido, but actually worth listening to
Lovely and chill
wasn't fully convinced by this album but i liked it enough for four stars. some songs were really nice. i'm sure if i listened to the lyrics more i'd enjoy it more too
i quite enjoyed this, beautiful and gentle singing. 5/5 tracks like the first one and the title track, but just a few that are a bit worse and bring it down to a 4. i will be relistening.
Pleasant, a little edgy sound like Alanis Morissette
It takes a while to accelerate but, when it does, it doesn't let up. Beth Orton props herself up as not only a worthy successor to the likes of John Martyn, Sandy Denny and Nick Drake but as a towering figure in turn of the century British "folktronica" in her own right. Central Reservations could be overflowing in regards to praise for this album but it is well deserved. Favorites: Stolen Car, Pass in Time, Central Reservation (original), Stars All Seem to Weep, Love Like Laughter, Blood Red River, Devil Song.
Gute Musik, gerne mehr.
The Stars All Seem to Weep when this album is playing. It’s So Much More than just a Pass In Time. The Sweetest Decline of notes across my eardrums was delightful and Couldn’t Cause Me Harm.
A nice singer with some thoughtful songs. It's not as complex as PJ Harvey, not as lush as Feist but also no dream pop either - but then more than that. It's an easy listen without it being easy listening. I enjoyed this rather approachable listen.
Nice voice. Relaxing music.
One of the albums that has stuck with me since I heard it the first time going through parts of this list. The melodies are reminiscent of Joni Mitchell with the atmospheric electronic elements really helping setting the mood. Cut out a few tracks, like 'Stars All Seem To Weep', and this is a 5/5 record to me.
I’d heard the name Beth Orton before but this was the first time I actually listened to her music. There are some obvious comparisons to Joni Mitchell, but Orton still manages to stand out as her own entity entirely. Everything just works and the compositions are works of art. I would probably trim a few of the songs, but Central Reservation is as close to a 5/5 record you will hear without it actually being one.
A little slow but wasn’t a bad album to listen to
I've listened to Pass in Time quite a few times since listening through this album! Quality album overall I thought. Slow, melodic, pretty, and a singer with a very pretty voice as well.
Good discovery
Great!
Great discovery
This was a delight to listen to this and much better than I guessed it would be. Not all songs are as good as others, but the album has quite a few hidden jewels.
Really chill when nice, gave me Joni Mitchell vibes
Good
4.2 - another lovely album. Loved her voice, which some might not.
This was good. A slight lull in the middle but very few imperfections. One song kinda sounded like All Saints to me, which was weird but good. 4.2/5
4/5 I like her vocal timbre and how emotive she is. Enjoyable listen.
I liked this.
Corky little bitch! Not bad.
A nice singer-songwriter album. I liked the combo of folk and electronic! Some of the songs started sounding the same after a while.
Best British Female.. siinäs kuulitte..ei siihen muuta tarvi kun rehtiä laulua lurautusta. oooo-oooo yeah yeah yeah.... ehkä yksi albumeista ikinä... ikimaailmassa.. jos olisi runoilijoitten koulunpenkillä istunut, ehkä yksi parhaimmista silloin. valitettavasti kansan koulua ilmeisesti käyty siellä pahemmin opitto...tarinankerrontaa...deep themes...incroyable... stolen car
Favourite songs: Pass In Time, Stolen Car, Blood Red River, Devil Song, Sweetest Decline, Love Like Laughter Least favourite songs: Stars All Seem to Weep 4/5
Sweet. An underrated beautiful voice and sound.
Loved this album, Pass in Time stands out for me. At first I definitely thought she gave discount Norah Jones vibes but Beth has her own unique style which really grew on me!! just what I needed, 4.2*
7/10. I liked this, she has a nice voice and the writing was great too
A really good album, with some excellent highlights. While some tracks didn't reach the heights the best tracks did, overall this was a project that I fully plan on listening to (most of it) again
This was really nice. Fav track: Stolen Car 3.5/5
nice
Cool and dusky, like a humid evening by the lake with your special person.
This felt like the 90s version of Joan Baez but even though I didn't really enjoy Joan Baez that much, I thought that this was pretty good. It was a nice mix of singer-songwriter and 90s indie that I think blended together better than I thought it would. The last track was good but overall I don't really have a song that stands out above the rest.
This was quite a surprise, a very mellow and relaxing singing voice and songs, tad bit long
Beautiful
interesting mix of folk, lounge, and electronic music. gorgeous voice, somewhere between natalie merchant and sarah mclachlan. very nice.
Yeah, great voice, nice mellow tunes. I dig it.
Another very Lilith Fair situation
Hier leben die Folk singer-songwriter der 1960er und 70er weiter durch Akustik Gitarren, melodischen Gesang und den gelegentlichen Einsatz von Streichern. Nur der seltene Einsatz einer distorted E-Gitarre, die unverkennbaren, aber auch etwas fehlplatzierten 90ies drum beats in wenigen Liedern, das stellenweise aggressivere Strumming und der überwiegend melancholische Ton verraten das Album als Kind der 1990er. Schön emotional und recht abwechslungsreich. Alles in allem ein sehr gelunges Album.
Sehr gute vibes, leider teilweise schroffe Übergänge zwischen Songs.
great album, I love her since 1999
Me gustó. La primera mitad del disco, sobre todo.
A really nice surprise. I had never heard of Beth Orton before listening to this album, but within 20 seconds i knew i was gonna like this album. At times it reminds me of Aimee Mann. Highlight is Feel to Believe. Great lyrics, great singing, really good. The only criticism of the album would be that the bonus version of Central Reservation (the Then Again Version) is probably better than any song on the album. A really great version of the song, and it made me think that an album more in the style of this remix, would be even better than the final product Feeling a Very High THREE or a VERY LOW FOUR... 4 i think
Cool smokey and catchy
4 Like Joni Mitchell but actually enjoyable
Liked it less when I realized she wasn't American
Perfect rainy album, with a hair of bloat.
A very comforting listen, a nice blend of styles and a good voice. That said, the songwriting is sort of forgettable and the record doesn't leave much in the way of a lasting impression. Nonetheless, a very pleasant background-listening album.
As good as Joni Mitchell's Blue. Definitely a more enjoyable listen. Beth Orton should have been huge.
le club des albums du matin a une nouvelle recrue☀️
This singing sounds exactly like Katie's. Sweetest Decline is a cool downbeat song. This is a very nice downbeat album, though it's something that doesn't call attention to itself. Blood Red River grabbed me. I would add this to the stable to come with.
Enjoyed this had a good rhythm throughout. She has a pretty voice but the album didn't just rely on that as it had some interesting instrumental backing her vocals. Folk but has electronics supporting it which is different but works well. Standout
first listen quirky little folksy thing
Better than much of the 90s singer songwriter music out there, but still not music I really connect with.
Pleasant music, nice voice. Would enjoy it as a party was winding down with folks sitting around quietly talking, not quite wanting to call it a night yet.
This is absolutely beautiful. I like it like I like meditation - it's so beautiful and calming and I really hope I can dedicate more time to it... but I'll probably end up going high intensity as I usually do. But would love to listen again 😁
Great vocals and great vibes!
Love Beth Orton, gonna try and see her at Glastonbury. Great album.
Pretty decent, low 4.
I came into this listening not expecting much because I am not a huge fan of folk music per se but my expectations were completely blown out of the water. I had never heard of Beth; I never had even been suggested this album. I was taken aback by how enchanting the her vocals were on this album on song like "Stolen Car", "Couldn't Cause Me Harm" and "Stars All Seem to Weep". The instrumentation on this album was excellent as well. All in all this album has no bad songs to me. My favorites were definitely the three I mentioned above as well as the title track, "Pass in Time", "Love Like Laughter" and "Feel to Believe" but as I mentioned before there are not any bad songs. I would give this albums a 9/10 or even a 9.5/10.
Pretty good, very relaxing and she has a great voice.
A truly unique singing voice. Great album to smoke a joint, grab a drink and chill
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.
Beautiful
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
Great voice. No expectations, very pleasant listening. I don't know anything about her EDM roots but this made me curious for more.
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
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.
Very nice, but washed over me. Nothing to make me sit up and listen, no standout songs, just consistently nice.
Top 3 Songs: 1 - Sweetest Decline (2) 2 - Central Reservation (6) 3 - Feel to Believe (11)
My favorite of hers. She had a unique and distinctive sound in her early stuff that she went away from in her later work.
Delightful.
Bloody lovely
Preferred the upbeats tunes, but overall not bad
Reminds me of the 90’s
Otra grata sorpresa. Me recuerda a Natalie Merchant, pero un poco más moderna. Al final me cansa un poco el disco, pero le daré un 4.
I would describe Beth Orton as being the least famous person with a famous voice (at least in music). This album is fairly difficult for me to describe, but it's excellent. It's mellow and folky a lot of the time, but it surprises you sometimes as well (Stars All Seem to Weep kinda comes out of nowhere). Overall a great listen 4/5
Flott rödd, góð tónlist, skemmtileg electróníku og kassagítars blanda. Jájá.
Jazzy, folky, well composed. Feels sincere
Influential and genre defining album, but too long
Nice mellow pop.
I very much enjoyed this album. It was a great soundtrack for the Sunday morning walk with the pup.
Coffee shop singer song writers has got to be one of my favorite genders
Otra grata sorpresa. Me recuerda a Natalie Merchant, pero un poco más moderna. Al final me cansa un poco el disco, pero le daré un 4.
A wonderful album that started to lose me towards the end. At the front, however, it was a great mix of vocals, instrumentals, and production. Everything felt very understated and it allowed her voice, which is the real selling point of the album, to shine through.
Excelente voz! Vibe gostosa
I went through a big Beth Orton phase 25 years ago or so, listening to this album and the compilation album Pass in Time over and over again. Her voice is the first thing that grabbed me - there's just something so unique and emotional about it. The music and songs are also amazing. Strange that I never delved further into her catalog than those two albums, but this is a good reminder to do so. I'll be listening to Beth all day today at least. 4 stars.
This is one of those albums that I want to listen to while on my porch and watching the rain. Nice coffee and a smoke type vibes.
This is splendid. Beth Orton has a lovely voice, with just a hint of a Joni Mitchell vibe. Perusing the personnel, Orton has assembled a nice group of really talented supporting performers, including Dr. John, Benn Watt and Ben Harper. Will definitely come back to this. Fave Songs: Pass in Time, Central Reservation, Feel To Believe, Blood Red River, Sweetest Decline, Stolen Car
Radiohead snuck into a singer songwriter
Zasto folktronica tako dobro izaziva nostalgiju
Znam da će mi Sweetest Decline, Central Reservation i Love Like Laughter biti na repeatu. Tako divne melodije, melankolične, a neke ću već kao i ove koristiti za jesensku plejlistu :3
Kind of moody and dark and low key in an interesting way. Liked it more than I expected.
Up my street
schöne und warme Stimme, diese ruhigen Songs gefallen mir gut. Die Sängerin kannte ich bis jetzt nicht, aber das ist ein so ein Album, dass man in ruhigen Stunden gerne immer wieder hört.
Beautiful voice and nice, chill-out music.
De va många bra å många decent
Very pretty, in short
This is a generous 4, because although I didn’t enjoy this an awful lot on first listen, it definitely has potential to be a grower!
Beth Orton doing what Beth Orton does. Polished folk pop.
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.
Masterful
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.
precursor to Olivia Rodrigo
Old friend.
Definitely a re-listen this one for the chill afternoons. Was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed it. Its only 4 stars since there is some filler towards the end.
LOL. Y que hago la reseña de Soul Mining... Muy chido, me gustó bastante el bajo en Sinking Feeling, las cuerdas en Twighlight Hour y Giant es todo un viajesote. Un poco de todo, medio synth, medio dark, medio postpunk.
Very nice 90s and folk aesthetic.
Really fantastic, lovely mix of folk and electronica.
Smooth easy listening
really solid listen. enjoyable.
Folk and electronic- England
Lovely singer-songwriter album
I love this album and the following one Daybreaker. I didn't keep up with her output and for no good reason. I must try harder. Favourite Track : Couldn't cause me harm.
I didn't listen to this when it came out - I was too busy listening to Portishead. But it's very good.
Really enjoyed this album. Great voice.
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.
Zeemzoet zweven zonder zorgen
Very mellow
Ik kan dit waarderen; het is tijdloos, prettig om naar te luisteren en het werd sowieso weer eens tijd voor een vrouwenstem tussen al dat mannengeweld.
Very nice indeed.
Perfect glass of wine and a bath album. Or, a comedown album back in the day.
4/5
Love it!
Ganz nett
She's got a great voice over some semi-ambient electronica/trip-hop beats. Very "lo-fi hip hop to relax/study to" vibes.
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?
I loved her voice, I loved the production this was very good 8,8/10
It might not be fair to Beth to say that she sounds exactly like Natalie Merchant, but...she does. There are plenty of great tracks on this record, and the standout is a song where she grieves her dead mother. Powerful stuff. Best track: Pass In Time
Not too bad actually
I really liked it. Early folktronica has a bit of nostalgia feel to it, and the songwriting itself was quite good.
1999: Stolen Car, Couldn't Cause Me Harm, Feel To Believe
I am very pleasantly surprised by this!
I thought this was brand new to me but apparently I have liked Stolen Car before on Spotify so I suppose I must have heard it at some point. The whole album will be new and I don't remember Stolen Car off the top of my head so it might as well be new. It is pretty generic. Goes the same direction as a bunch of other adult contemporary stuff from the time - Sarah McLachlan, Jewel, kd lang, maybe Paula Cole. But not as well done as any of those. And not as unique either. It's fine. Nothing to sway you one way or the other. 2.5/5
A bowl of “yep, that’s mostly kinda ok”
3.49 sterne
This is not unenjoyable and Orton’s use of producers is a very comfy fit (an entire project with Ben Watt would’ve been a treat). Alas, as much as I enjoy her voice and contributions to the Chemical Brothers, I never gravitated towards this material.
gostei bastante da vibde do album, da mistura de generos. realmente me pegou. talevz eu venha revisitar nota 6,5
This record was okay. This has a mix of boring and interesting sounds. Favourite Track(s): Feel to Believe Least Favourite Track(s): Devil Song, So Much Move, Stars All Seem to Weep
I liked the album at first. A powerful voice. Overall, the album would have benefited from being a little shorter. It got a bit annoying toward the end. 3/5
It’s good
Yep, haven’t listened for years and it’s still the same. A belting opening song, and then it’s all nice but not that exciting from then on.
Favourite Songs: Stars All Seem To Weep Central Reservation
Stolen Car is a fantastic track and her best by far. Ben Harper’s slide guitar takes it to the next level. The rest of the album—which I own—needs more of a pulse and less musical monotony. But she’s great and this album is pretty good. The more you listen, the more you discover.
Sounded weirdly familiar
Not bad but very forgettable
Not my thing but easy to listen to.
this is a tricky one. her voice is great and what i picked up of the lyrics is good but the instrumentals are very hit or miss for me. i'm less into the "folk" ones generally, but the tracks where she leans harder to the "tronica" side fuck hard. as such, "stars all seem to weep" stands miles above the rest of the album to me with that borderline trip-hop backing. "central reservation (the then again version)" is good too, even it does have an intensely 90s feel to it. it's not that the rest is necessarily bad, like, i enjoyed "stolen car" and "central reservation (original version)" well enough. but the more electronic focused tracks are just hitting so much harder for me. i know i keep saying albums could be a 4 with more listens but with this one especially i really do feel like just one more particularly well-timed listen of this could get it there. but for now...... its another 3.
She has a nice voice and it makes for a pleasant listen. But in a few weeks I will have forgotten this album exists
inconsistent singing, suspect enunciation, okay arrangements, mostly nothing much
No opinion. Not great, but not bad either.
I like her singing voice. And her haircut
A pleasant album but nothing special.
Verrrry 90s.
I wasnt familiar with Beth Orton going into this album. I enjoyed it- she has a great voice and her songs have a lot of emotion. Overall- 3.5/5
15/06/2026 An average album....a solid 3 on the average scale. Spotify listeners: 261.8k
Bastante decente.
War erst begeistert und vermutete eine Neuentdeckung, hat mich dann aber so im dritten Viertel gelangweilt. Werde aber mal andere Alben von ihr ausprobieren.
She has such an interesting voice.
Not bad, pretty unobjectionable, but kind of boring background music TBH.
Brit folk that sticks to the middle of the road.
Is important.
I don’t know if I had heard of Beth Orton before this. She has a great voice but it did feel a little repetitive after a bit.
Nice easy listening
Not my jams but not bad.
I'm vaguely aware of this artist, but I don't think I recognize any of the tracks on this album by title. This is my first time listening to this album start-to-finish. At times, this reminds me a bit of Joni Mitchell. Unfortunately, Joni's just not really my thing, and I'm feeling the same about this album. It's not bad, but I find myself wondering why this is on the list.
I didn't expect to like this, but it's very listenable. Not sing in the shower stuff, but very much the kind of thing you play in the car.
I thought for sure this would be a five during Stolen Car and then everything slowed down, turned into a coffee shop album. A good one, sure, but every time I get an album that starts out strong and then drops right away it's hard to recover that momentum.
Was leaning towards a 4 star for this album but it lost me about halfway through. I was familiar with Central Reservation (the remixed version towards the end of the album) which happened to be on the Bounce soundtrack (had to dig through my iTunes library to figure that one out) - really like that song and a few of the songs on the first half of the album. (3)
This is fine. Beth Orton's music never really does what I want or hope -- the "folktronica" tag kinda oversells what is relatively safe, anodyne singer-songwriter music. I like some moments, and the overall vibe is nice, but I'm generally underwhelmed and left wanting something edgier or more experimental.
Hermosa voz de la gurisa, me hace acordar a la de the cranberries.
Nice voice, a few good songs but largely not my thing
Was okay! Not my thing completely but she has a great voice!
Good
I liked “Love Like Laughter” and the rest was inoffensive and mild.
Good album. I tend to get annoyed with the singer-songwriter genre but this was worth the listen.
I found it a bit samey to be honest
Franchement mignon, mais un peu boring Quand même content de l’écouter : 3/5 Couldn’t cause me harm : a un peu vieilli mais c’est joli et inspire la nostalgie C’est quand même assez répétitif, et sur une heure en plus ! Malgré tout je suis quand même content au début de chaque chanson, l’écoute est agréable Pass in Time : sympa avec un deuxième chanteur dont la voix nous surprend positivement Pareil, stars All seem to weep résume l’album : franchement jolie mais pue vraiment les sons des fin 90 début 2000. Je pense que la voix de la chanteuse ne se distingue pas beaucoup aussi Marrant : la répartition des notes sur TAG est exactement en pyramide
It's a lovely album, but aside from "Stolen Car" and the title track it didn't do all that much for me. The former song is one that I've liked for quite a while, and I was a little disappointed that the rest of the album didn't feel as special as that track. I would happily listen again, but I think I would have to be in just the right mood for this album to make a big impact on me. Favorite track: "Stolen Car"
big 3
very folky and then some song hit you with a very produced electronic vibe. sometimes works well. its something that feels like my mom would play in the car when i was little, and because of that im inclined to like it.
It’s good.
I think I am in the wrong mood today to enjoy this. I have always enjoyed Beth Orton's voice when she pops up to do a guest vocal (notably for William Orbit, Chemical Brothers, Beck, Ryan Adams, Bert Jansch! various tribute albums, etc) -- her voice has character which lifts whatever she sings on. But today I am grumpy and this didn't click for me. The backing tracks seem underwhelming and dated, the songwriting feels repetitive and a little lackluster. But I think this is just how I am feeling today. I have enough respect for Ms Orton's talents that this album would strike me differently on a different day. I am going to rate this 3 today, with a note to self to revisit this in the future.
Really grew on me as I listened, some solid songwriting, nothing overly exiting, but solid
It's very Dido, very Cranberries...wonder why the fame never happened in yhe same way for her
I liked the overall vibe without really loving any particular song
Solid
Fue muy meh, ni malo ni bueno
I never heard of her before. Not a bad album, it has its moments. Still, nothing I would come back to.
Categorized as rock? Nah, maybe pop or adult alternative. Similar to Paula Cole, Sarah McLachlan or Sinead O’Connor. Enjoyed it.
Random thoughts: * I definitely remember Beth Orton and this album from the 90s but can't say I ever really listened to it. * It was less grunge than I thought it was. It wasn't grunge at all. It's way more indie. * I really liked it overall. I could see how this album is like a cozy blanket. And if it was worn in and well known, I could see how soothing getting covered by this cozy blanket would be. * I plan on listening to this one again some cozy weekend morning. Feels like it would be a good listen then.
It's very late 90s, solo female music. But I'm kinda here for it. There's a lot of nice little touches that definitely makes it a step above a lot of the other names of that time.
a bid reserved indeed but something new and something nice
Strong strong start, but a little too same same in the middle. Needed a change of pace or mood to help it along.
= the Beatles
It was interesting pretty good
3 1/2
This is better then I thought but it’s maybe a bit too long. I was quite surprised by how good they he opener was compared to the rest of the album.
I listened to this a lot when it came out. I didnt love it as much as I remember.
Reminds me of a gentle linken park, especially the first song stolen car, her instrumentals are so sweet prototype pehobe bridgers
I've never heard of this artist but i actually really enjoyed the album. it's a slower paced kinda chill vibe. for sure had like the 90s indie folk girl vibes that i do like from the time. some songs were really good while some where just kinda meh. overall i did enjoy this though!
Didn't mind this in the end. I thought her vocals were beautiful and the playing matched the energy of the album. 3/5 Probably won't listen again
Enough variance in style to keep it from feeling samey, but the little breath she adds after every vowel is annoying
This is a cool project. Relatively diverse for a singer-songwriter album. I don't love all of it, but I appreciate the directions it takes. I tend to think there is too much filler on this album, especially in the back half where most of the b side gets same-y and boring. And considering that it's too long anyway, she could have cut those 15 minutes or so of filler had had 43 great minutes instead. Unfortunate. Sticks the landing though. 3.2/5
In isolation, these are fine tracks - characterised by a beautiful voice and mellow arrangements - that easily earn three or four stars each. But taken as a whole, the album's consistently downbeat tone becomes a hurdle. Spanning nearly sixty minutes, the lack of variation meant my engagement dipped during the latter half. Three stars. 1 "Stolen Car" (4/5) 2 "Sweetest Decline" (4/5) 3 "Couldn't Cause Me Harm" (4/5) 4 "So Much More" (3/5) 5 "Pass in Time" (3/5) 6 "Central Reservation" (3/5) 7 "Stars All Seem To Weep" (3/5) 8 "Love Like Laughter" (3/5) 9 "Blood Red River" (2/5) 10 "Devil Song" (3/5) 11 "Feel to Believe" (4/5) 12 "Central Reservation" (The Then Again Version) (3/5) Total - 39 Average - 3.25 300/1001 162/300 albums reviewed were new to me
Beautifully background
jag vet inte vad jag tycker och jag är trött så jag ger
5/10 I was pretty interested to give this one a spin. With the marketing of Beth Orton as “folktronica”, a blend of trip-hop and acoustic folk music, I was hoping for something along the lines of Múm or Bon Iver, the kind of thing that sits right in my wheelhouse. Unfortunately, this record leans toward the more poppy side of the ledger and doesn’t completely satisfy either the singer-songwriter or the electronic aesthetic particularly successfully either. It’s also incredibly late 90’s sounding, which I don’t think really helps its staying power. With that being said, there’s not anything inherently bad about any of it, but it just feels a little bit bland, and often lacks any notable hooks or memorable moments. It’s also a bit tonally muddled, with a bunch of the tracks seeming to have the electronic elements added in a slightly forceful way that doesn’t actually gel all that well with the core song. To my ear, the better of the songs tended to actually be the more acoustically focused ones, and it feels a bit like this was produced to capture the sound of the moment, rather than with any specific intention as part of the production style. Beth is a decent singer, but there are places where the slightly whispery indie-girl nature of her voice grated, and even some points where her tuning seemed to be a little off, or she struggled with the transition to falsetto, on the odd occasion that she sang in that range. The production was a little patchy too, with some elements dominating unnecessary and some less than deft tonal blends causing some slightly sharp edges to the experience. It was pretty decent background music though, and there was the odd moment where my interest was piqued a little more, but when it comes down to it, there just wasn’t enough substance in there to bring me back to this one. Stolen Car - A pretty pleasant start. I find the cello parts a little overwrought, but the rest of the instrumentation is solid if unspectacular and her vocal is delivered with strength, with some nice melodic and harmonic moments. Some of the production elements seem a little forced, like it’s attempting to force the electronic nature of the sound a little too much, when it would probably have worked as well, if not better as a more straight folk rock track. Sweetest Decline - This is nice too. It’s an engaging little ramble of a track in which the slightly roaming nature seems to be an intentional device in the songwriting. There’s quite a few intertwining instrumental parts layered in, and there’s a slightly jazzy edge, particularly to the piano, which I like. Occasionally her vocal soars above the track which pulls your focus and then things drift back into the gentle, pretty breeze of the track. Couldn't Cause Me Harm - This one leans a little more into the electronic edge. It reminds me quite a bit of Pure Shores by All Saints, which was written by William Orbit, who worked on Beth’s previous album. Strange coincidence, or deliberate inspiration? This is, again, nice enough. It’s not the most memorable or engaging, but the vibe is chilled and it’s got a pleasing tonal mix with a bit of grit thrown in under the cleaner surface. So Much More - There’s a similar lilting vibe to this, but it’s more sparse. Melodically, it’s a little meandering and it feels like there’s not a vast amount to grab on to here. The layered vocal parts are quite cool, and there’s some decent piano work in here, but ultimately, it feels a bit on the bland and unfocused side, and again, there are bits of the electronic production that feel a bit tacked on rather than integral to the song. Pass In Time - Well this is a long one. I don’t know if it’s her slightly wavering vocal style here, but there are times where she sounds like she doesn’t quite get everything in tune, which is a little off putting. I don’t really like Terry Callier’s backing vocal either and find that they jar against each other a bit. As a whole, there’s not really enough in this to justify the track length and while the underlying vibe is ok, the vocals just don’t work for me at all. Central Reservation (Original Version) - Holy reverb Batman. Quite a few odd production decisions in here. The saturated electric guitar part is too loud and jars a bit with the softness of the rest of the production, and her vocal is absolutely soaked in reverb and she delivers it with a semi-slurred delivery of which I’m not the biggest fan. As with much of the record, this is a calm and pleasant background listen, and there are a couple of moments in the melody that caught my ear, but it’s also quite meandering in places, and there’s probably not anything particularly memorable in there that makes me want to return. It felt like it was building to something that never really arrived. Stars All Seem To Weep - Now we get to a more trip-hop edged beat that I was expecting with the description “folktronica” that’s attributed to Beth Orton. goes. This is another pleasant background music track that sounds incredibly late 90s, but doesn’t really stand out in any way. There are a lot of nice elements in there, and trip-hop is a genre that I have affection for, but there’s not any specific hook that grabs me and while I like the general vibe, it all feels a bit generic. Love Like Laughter - There’s a carefree edge to the vocal delivery here that I like and there’s a more engaging vocal melody to go with it. It’s still a bit wispy and drifty, but feels more focused. The instrumentation works better with the music here too and the electronic content is limited and doesn’t feel forced. Blood Red River - We’re very reverb-heavy again here. It’s another slightly meandering vocal melody above a fairly sparse accompaniment that doesn’t feel like it holds on to anything particularly well. It’s funny, because I don’t dislike it and it’s a pretty background listen, but it just sort of feels like it’s passing me by, rather than actually grabbing hold of me. Devil Song - It feels like there’s something a bit more to this. It feels more focused and even though it’s sparse and drifting in some respects, the core of it feels more coherent. It’s not going to trouble my favourites list, but it’s not a bad song and was a pretty and enjoyable listen. Feel To Believe - Continuing the theme, this is another that feels more focused. There’s a bit more melodic certainty to it and it’s got a stronger chorus. It’s a bit over keen on the vocal reverb again, but this feels very much like a singer-songwriter at an open-mic that everyone shuts up to listen to. In my opinion, when there’s more of a focus on the melody and core structure of the songwriting it feels like she delivers more emotionally and musically engaging work, and this is a pretty good example of that. Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) - And as if to directly counter the last song and it’s more singer-songwriter style, we get a remix of the title track. So late 90s. Especially the “it’s like” breakdown in the middle. It actually delivers a more focused development than the original mix in my position, but it feels a bit lacking in nuance and substance. It’s just a bit too 90s electro-pop for my tastes. It’s not bad, just a bit cliche and by the numbers in a “please include me on your film/tv soundtrack” way.
Ok
Type of music you'd hear at a college town coffee shop
I like her voice a lot and the album was solid. Really fits perfectly, sound-wise, into the time period that it was released.
Singer songwriter
im a feminist but i think we can do better than this. indie rock shoe gaze sounds best in a k hole
I personally enjoyed her earlier album, "Trailer Park", a bit more. This album features a more traditional Singer-Songwriter aesthetic, as opposed to "Trailer Park"s more uptempo (edging towards Trip-Hop) vibe. Still, a worthwhile effort.
Dit is oprecht het meest achtergrondmuziekachtige album ooit.
Not terrible, not for me. Maybe with a couple more listens it would resonate.
To co-opt a line from the Rifleman’s creed: THIS IS TODAYS ALBUM. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS JUST LIKE THIS ALBUM, BUT THIS ONE IS TODAYS. WITHOUT ANOTHER 90s COFFEE SHOP ALBUM I AM USELESS, WITHOUT ME JUST ANOTHER 90s COFFEE SHOP ALBUM IS USELESS.
Between Beth Orton and Dido I feel as if folksy sounding women singing beaitifully over lo-fi beats was having a bit of a moment in 1999 That said I do think Dido is better if you're into this type of music, but I did enjoy Central Reservation and will probably listen to it more
Kinda dug it, very of the moment style album though
Pretty good. Stolen Car and Stars All Seem To Weep were my favorites. Very atmospheric even with just a few instruments. However, most of the album didn't stick with me that much. 5.2/10
Not bad!
Pretty enjoyable. Some weak tracks. Wouldn't really revisit the album as a whole but don't regret listening
#883. This is the kind of music they play at the mall. 3/5: acceptable
Kind of music Wendy puts on in the car and you never hear again.
✨ Fine.
Nice surprise this one, not heard her much before, enjoyed this album, beautiful voice, I’ll listen again.
Pretty music but her voice got really obnoxious. Like Dido type of obnoxious. A lot of it sounded the same but worked for the album since it felt like a story I couldn’t really read well.
Lowkey contemplative.
I enjoyed it, would maybe listen to a couple of tracks again. 3/5
Sounded good but the vocals were a bit hard to hear/understand.
I liked this quite a bit. 3.5
Reading a little around Orton's album before embarking on the listening journey, it appeared that her music would be up my street (with that 'folktronica' label that springs to mind Joan Baez, Boygenius, Bess Atwell). Yet, the first few songs almost felt disappointing in the face of this expectation I had set up in my head. As the album progressed, though, I found myself relaxing into it, enjoying Orton's voice and the calming guitar melodies. Rating: 3.5.
2.5, not my style but she has a beautiful voice
very chill. just ok
Good but quite samey
Me gusto bastante este album para el dia lluvioso que tuvimos. Su voz se siente bien familiar en ese Y2K femme singer kind of way. Me gustaron mucho mas los arreglos musicales especialmente el piano y las cuerdas de Sweetest Decline que es mi favorita del album. Despues de un rato el album kind of blends out in more of the same sounds sin mucho que resaltar. 3/5
A polished mix of folk, jazz and dance-inflected astral tweaks that won Beth Orton a Brit award and solidified her a role of the queen of post-club wind-down playlists. Enjoyable, but a quick second listen was less engaging.
It was fine, I recognised a few of the songs.
Me gusto mucho el estilo del disco. Muy tranquilo pero al mismo tiempo profundo y con un sonido con mucho carácter. La voz de Beth Orton es increíble y su trabajo lírico es muy bueno, me gustaron las letras. Los arreglos instrumentales en cada pista hacen toda la diferencia, definitivamente un disco muy bien hecho y sincero. La verdad no lo sentí tan memorable pero lo disfrute mucho y seguro lo escuchare de nuevo completo en algún mood relax. Buen disco.
Eh.
Good Lilith fair vibes. Might need another pass through. Feel like the words carry a lot of the significance and that's hard on a first listen
I had never heard of Beth Orton before, but I really like her voice. It’s fragile and expressive without being overly sweet. That said, the album feels a bit too consistent in tone, with many of the songs sharing a similar dark and restrained mood. I found myself wishing there were more tracks like Stolen Car or Couldn’t Cause Me Harm, where the guitar and rhythm stand out more clearly. Her voice carries much of the atmosphere, but as a full album it feels a little too uniform for me.
First time listening to Beth Orton. Excellent voice - harking back to the likes of Alanis Morissette and Dido from the same era - but with much more interesting music to back it up. Still a little too soft for my liking, but an enjoyable listen nonetheless.
Eh three, good songs! But long and pretty samey
Pleasant in the background. Nothing special. Just scrapes a 3.
I used to listen to this and Trailer Park on fairly heavy rotation a long time ago and have not listened again for a while. Unfortunately I am finding her voice a little whinny and annoying today and the electro backing a little muzacy and cheesy.
The album is well summarised by the opening track 'Stolen Car'. A feel of open chords, expansive driving through desert vibes, hypnagogic, and delivered with an unfussy vocal. And yet it doesn't actively capture the attention. There's not much to take issue with, and even less to get excited about. Nevertheless, the general slow-burn mood of the album makes it a pleasant enough listen to balance the scales.