Reviews (page 4 of 8)
While the music isn't my taste and quite boring in my opinion, her voice was very pleasant to listen to. The songs could have been a bit shorter if you ask me, some were dragging on a bit too long. 3/5
Holy return of divorced mom Pop/rock. Why am I slowly succumbing to the vibes? This is a huge step up from the last 90’s pop record I did on here (Fiona Apple) albeit even more depressing. Never a good look when I resonate with the sad ones. Oh well. This rocks. Blood red river is a banger!
Was ok, but nothing I would go back to probably.
Fine.
I liked it.
Meh 2.7
Day767 - a good indie album but i don’t think i’ll add any songs to my library
The Good: One place to take care of all! The Bad: My reservation got lost in the post… The Ugly: The blandness of everything getting centralized… Never heard of Beth before… listened to the album during a train ride… it wasn’t too bad. Yet, the only thing that I remember about this album is that her voice sounds like the cranberries singer to me, and I find that style annoying… There were several songs where she sang “normal” and I wish she’d stick to that style throughout the album. All in all, it is what it is… a central reservation which merits a central rating of 3*
It's an easy-listening soft rock kind of album. Reminds me of Dido. The title track (Central Reservation) is the best one, both versions of it. Stolen Car is also decent.
I know of this album but despite having been released squarely when I would have been all Lilith Fair all the time, and vague memories of this getting really talked up by critics, it ultimately leaves me cold. It's not bad but there's nothing memorable here.
I dug this for a little bit, but then it turned on me. Dig Beth, though. She's awesome. 3
This was a singer songwriter album something that I enjoy. I feel like I would warm upon a relisten to this but thought this was ok
3.5/5
Good album. It's really well produced. Hers songs with other musicians and electroncia are really good. The ones with just her are good but sound similar to each other.
I thought "Folktronica" was an interesting description for her music - although this album seemed much more in line with the Folk side - being close to the Lilith Fair crowd. Solid effort and I would definitely listen again. 3.
This was a very good album. I knew one song and I know I've heard some of her other songs.
Not my favorite of the Lilith Fair gals, but still good (3.5)
Musically it's pretty good. Her voice wavers throughout which brings the album down a bit. I did like it more than I thought I would. I'm just not sure it's worthy of a spot on this list.
1/22 Pretty good
Pleasant enough
This one was fine, if I being honest I liked it more than I expected. 2.5 rounded to 3 stars.
At first I didn't I was going to like this album, but it grew on me. Beth has a more than pleasant voice and the songwriting and the instrumentation were pretty solid for the genre.
Thought this was really cool at the start and considered giving it a 4 but it started to drag by the end.
Liked what I heard
It's OK
Chill, beautiful voice, supringengly wide range of different styles, some almoust house-like, while others more rudimentary
Good. But nothing special.
Just kinda mid, all of the songs blended together after the first track, which was the best one
I had some preconceived notions wandering into this one, and they turned out to be fairly accurate, but not totally. In the moments that the album wanders outside the boundaries of wistful adult contemporary (i.e., usually the songs with a more driving electronic-sounding, sometimes trip-hop beat), it’s awesome. “Stolen Car” and “Stars All Seem to Weep” are stellar songs. Most of the rest of the album is good by objective measures — emotionally impactful, incredibly well-performed, etc — but a little bland to me in the way a lot of these understated, earnest, weary 90s artists often seem. Also, as a personal gripe, she has a vocal affectation that’s pretty era-specific and grates on me…a little Alanis and a little Tori. (Instead of “The Sweetest Decline,” track 2 should be titled, “The Sway-hay-hate-ist Decline.”) Still, in an effort to make a spare and haunting album with a ton of atmosphere, it’s a total success.
Sehr nett, ein paar schöne Songs dabei, manchmal etwas seltsame Produktion.
Her voice is really lovely and gentle, and it's all entirely easy to listen to, but I guess therein lies the issue to a degree. It's just some music that happened. I would gladly put this on for something to avoid silence, and I'd probably recommend it to someone if I wasn't sure what their tastes were.
Byrja bra, men blei litt lei i lengden
Album started with some sauce, digging the strings, bongos are fun, some interesting electronic sections. The Terry Callier feature is great, his voice compliments Beth's very well, that track felt like something I'd slow dance with my girlfriend to. This album overall feels like something you'd hear in a combination coffee shop book store that does live music on Fridays, and I personally dig it. I feel like the album goes on slightly longer than it needs too, by track 10 I was ready for it to be over or do something else new and exciting. 3.25/5 give me an iced white mocha and a new book while Beth does her thing
I liked most of the songs on here, I was kind of distracted listening so I will definitely come back to this album for another listen in the future. More independent young lady music
being generous with the 3
The vocals sound very run-of-the-mill for this type of music, but I do like the harmonies and music. The arrangement is well done, and while the music is the beat part of this album for me, it isn't a style that I'd vibe on a regular occasion. It's chill, but I only give it a 3. It may be a 4 for some, but not for me.
This is unfortunate because the first song is really great and then everything else is kinda just there. Not bad by any means but it just kinda blends together after a while. Favorite songs were Stolen Car and Stars All Seem To Weep
Not as immediate or with the replay value as Portishead, but a pleasant album I was not familiar with. Have added some tracks to Spotify (love like laughter, stars all seem to weep)
Very pleasant without ever smashing me in the chops. Low 3
There is clearly an interesting vibe, a robust, very full sound and excellent production on Central Reservation. I especially enjoyed the unexpected downtempo songs, which there could have been more of. However this record is also overlong and does not have a song power to match the gorgeous overall “feel.” You could slim down the tracklist to arrive at a more pleasing version, but even then it could do with a couple of singles, at points it gets a bit dreary without them.
I struggle to see why this in on the top 1000 of all time. Alas, I do like her voice, but the album is kind of all over the place. It's like rainy day puzzle music
It was fine
A lovely voice. Overly long songs, but to be contrary, my favourite was 'Pass in time' which is the longest on the album. An album that didn't wow me, but would be perfectly happy to have on in the background at pretty much any given time.
I had never heard of Beth Orton before, so I was intrigued by what I would hear. This started out well with the lead track, but after that I found this relatively pedestrian. Orton has an interesting voice, but she never quite does enough with it to consistently be great. The songs are pretty much just there as well, hanging in the ether. It's pleasant, but nothing outstanding or anything I would come back to other than the first song.
Ok in small doses, though whole album starts to sound the same.
Pretty easy listening. It’s fine.
I had never heard of Beth Orton. After the first couple of songs, I thought I was really going to like this album…but as it went on, I found her vocal style to be a bit too lazy at times, to the point of going flat. And a lot of the songs were just too long, making the whole album too long. What I thought was going to be a four star record for me, settled down to a disappointing ho-hum three. No need to hear it again.
There's some fine stuff here, I liked some production choices and she's a pretty good vocalist but there is so much stuff here that is pretty boring
“Folktronica”—never heard that term, but I like it. I listen frequently to female singer-songwriters and I enjoyed this. A few songs didn’t “speak” to me, but overall, a nice album for easy listening. I will check out more of Beth Orton since this is my first encounter. ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Average 2.5/5
01) Stolen Car - 7,5 02) Sweetest Decline - 7,0 03) Couldn't Cause Me Harm - 7,5 04) So Much More - 6,0 05) Pass in Time - 6,0 06) Central Reservation 6,0 07) Stars All Seem To Weep - 7,0 08) Love Like Laughter - 5,5 09) Blood Red River - 5,5 10) Devil Song - 5,5 11) Feel to Believe - 5,5 12) Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) - 7,5 TOTAL: 6,38 (64/100) Current ranking:
лучше боба дулана
Easy listening for background music.
First time to hear this one as well. High points to me were Stolen Car, Stars All Seem to Weep, Feel to Believe and Central Reservation (The Then Again Version). Overall I’d score this a 3.3
Sort of vibey background music. Not great but also not bad.
No private session used for Spotify. I really liked Beth's voice and enjoyed this mellow album. Will have to remember to listen to it some more.
This was okay. You can’t go wrong with 90s mom music.
mixed feelings, i like the songs, they are quite powerful and feel good, but also not the kind of music i usually listen to... maybe i've just discovered new genre that i like?
Beth Orton assembled quite the team for Central Reservation, with Dr. John on piano and Ben Harper on guitar and about 15 others to round it out. What we get is a pleasant album that has enough interesting musical components happening to take it a step further than a standard singer songwriter album. It’s a subtle rock album but it would definitely get people bopping along at a Lilith Fair performance. The opener, Stolen Car stands out as my favourite with some really nice swirling guitar happening to accompany Orton’s great songwriting and vocals. It’s a pretty album that would fit slot perfectly in for a rainy morning while you put together breakfast, sipping a hot coffee. Cozy stuff, 3 stars
Solid listen. Not my typical style of music but I enjoyed the easy listen. Good for background music but not much else. Unlikely to listen to it again.
5.5/10 Hard to really have an opinion about this one Highlights: Blood Red River Stolen Car
Not bad
Beautiful voice
Good vocals, slow alt-pop
3 out of 5. Never heard of her before, but this is definitely a 90's rainy day album.
Couldn't Cause Me Harm pretty well has the same chord structure as Bad Time To Be Poor by The Rheostatics. This is a very well produced album, with some nice songwriting, but it dragged for me. Liked Songs Added: Pass In Time
Chill poetry. 3/5
Pretty decent, good sound
Some good interesting bits on here. Though it dragged on a bit
Favorite Track: ...Stolen Car
2.9 Shades of Joni Mitchell mixed with Jewel. Fine
Not sure I was quite in the mood for this one yesterday, so will come back to it.
i enjoyed it overall, bit of a drag
Неплохой поп
Bueno, me gustó pero tardé una semana en acabarlo, por eso le doy un 3.
3.5/5 good album! would listen again! very joni mitchell coming up on alanis morissette
Forgettable singer songwriter stuff
This was interesting
The first and last few songs of this were great, acoustically driven but a rocky tinge and Beth has a good voice for it. Middle was very insipid music and Beth changed to channeling her inner Dido. Huge swathes just passed me by that were quiet and dull. All in all I suppose it was okay. Some good songs but as an album won't be back.
Her name sounds familiar to me but no idea why and I'm pretty sure I've never heard of her. This was all fairly ok, nice voice, but there's just no way I'm going to remember any of this. Interesting that some was produced by everything but the girl, because it does sound like them in parts. Also doesn't sound particularly English, I would've called it more country? Anyway, nice enough but 2.5
Really liked her style. 3.5 rating.
Another album off the 1001 record-long bucket list. "Central Reservation" started great, but declined when it went more acoustic. My favourite track is the opening song "Stolen Car". The following two songs, after "Stolen Car", also rule. A nice album to end the week. 3 stars for "Central Reservation".
90s femme rock feels, interesting vocals and melancholy charm. First I've heard of this artist, and it was a good first impression
I really like some of this… I’m tempted to give it four stars and listen a few more times but with a new album each day it’s tough unless it’s reallllllyy good.
Don’t know the sound, but he has an interesting voice, not a standard delivery.
Generally just quite nice singer-songwriter stuff. Not sure why it’s on this list, but it’s pleasant enough.
Pretty nice tbf not particularly mind blowing
Beth has a nice voice and the songs were pleasant enough. Didn’t hate it, didn’t love it. Her vocalisations didn’t upset me as much as it did other reviewers. Ok for dinner parties or as background focus music but not one for my general listening rotation.
Kinda groovy kinda dull
Inoffensively bland, somehow just about manages to transcend the hipster associations ('folktronica'? Grow up)
Charming.
I always wanted to like this more than I actually did. It's pleasant enough though.
lovende start 3
Kinda reminds me of the 60s and 70s female singer-songwriters. It's a nice little throwback even if it's not always interesting. I don't like the jazzy songs very much
Really good.
No lo conocía. Me gustó
Very cozy. Very 90s
cool overall sound for sure, music itself could have been more interesting to me
great vibes
I really enjoyed it. I’d give it a 3.5 if I could.
Good background music.
This caught me at the right time- good voice and enjoyed parts. It was just too long and dour
It’s a was Ok. I really enjoy the first half of the record.
I enjoyed the first song and then realised the rest of the album had the same style. I struggle with folk but I can acknowledge that this was a very good example of its genre
I really like where this album starts off on- it’s such an interesting direction to take folk music. Unfortunately, it doesn’t really get any better from there. 3 stars.
It’s good but not my type of music
Reminds me of Natalie Merchant
This one was pretty interesting. I saw talk of trip hop in the descriptoon and collaborations with The Chemical Brothers, and then it's a folk album. Some of the early songs here were actually really awesome, with my favorite being Pass In Time. Stolen Car and Couldn't Cause Me Harm were also really good. I didn't really like the back half though, pretty much anythi g after Stars All Seem to Weep.
Some pretty decent songs. I liked it, but it's not mind-blowing either.
hmmmm. cute. fall vibes
meh
Bueno
Pleasant background music
I can’t focus on this long enough to form a solid opinion…. It’s not bad? I don’t feel like I hate it?
Franchement c'est pas mal en fond
Har kun hørt hendes nyeste plade. Det her var ret lækkert!
I liked most songs, but not the r'n'b thing in the middle. She has a nice and cosy voice.
this was pretty cool for the first 15 minutes. then it never really changed and got a little tiresome. tough distinction between a low 3 and a high 2 but i think it deserves more than 2 so we’ll go low 3
It’s nice but it’s coffee shop music.
Næs í eyrun. Á milli 3 og 4 stjarna. Myndi örugglega aldrei hlusta sjálfur á þetta, en gaman að heyra svona tónlist frá aldamótum.
not for me.
This is an ok pop album with some folk mixed in. The voice is good, but it's rather unremarkable. Nothing here is that good, but it's not bad.
The rest of the album sounds nothing like the opening song.
I thought it started off strong with “Stolen Car,” but the rest of the album failed to keep up. It feels kind of generic in a weirdly specific way - 90s downtempo pop with a female vocalist. Still, there were some other tracks that were pretty good. Stolen Car, Blood Red River, Devil Song
Fin stemme og solid sing and songwrite. Ikke noget i mig som gipper efter at lytte igen.
Lidt Portis Head, Lidt Everything But The Girl og rigtig meget 90er alternativ singer/songwriter. Alle sammen elementer jeg kan li’, men det her fanger mig aldrig helt.
Finished listening only to realise I already had a track from this saved. Testament to how completely forgettable this was. It's quite nice, perfectly pleasant, but left no real lasting impression.
Not bad. I’d listen to more.
Spet grem v popolno neznano. So far, I like it. Začetek zelo of the time, "Sweetest Decline" je pa bolj miren, lep komad. (Ta vibe sledi v sledečih komadih.) Beth ma zelo prijeten vokal. Muska je simpl, ampak lepa. Se pa kinda vse blenda skup. Chill, ampak mogoče mal nezapomljivo. Uf, kr naenkrat pa tak mal trip hop komad ("Stars All Seem to Weep"), ampak not good. In gremo nazaj v mirne vode. Album je totalno nasprotje trenutnemu stanju zunaj, kjer se pripravlja na nevihto. Človek bi si komot ta album dal predvajat, ko se odpravlja spat. Predzadnji, "Feel to Believe" je kul. Prou pričara ti sliko Beth na odru, na stolčku, s kitaro v rokah, kako se dere v mikrofon. Zadnji je pa iz nekega razloga remix naslovnega komada, ki se sicr pojavi nekje na sredi albuma. (To mam mal v spominu, da je bil a thing tisti cajt v popularni muski.) Wikipedia pravi, da je bla njena muska v cel kup late 90s - early 2000s serijah, kar ima totalen smisel. Zveni tako. Verjetn ne bom več poslušala, sam ni mi blo pa slabo. Ne tok zame, načeloma redko navigiram k tok umirjeni muski.
This was fine. It wasn't exceptional to me, but it was better than a lot of other albums on here.
This was pretty good. The lyrics were great. She has a nice voice. She reminded me of Sarah McLachlan, Natalie Merchant, and Dido vocally. She's a little pitchy at times.
A good voice but the lyrics are hard to understand when she sings which is a little frustrating. 3 stars or C.
this strikes me as a bunch of songs by Fiona Apple, Norah Jones and Jewel that never made it to their albums so Beth said "I got this." Real coffee shop vibes here which I am a sucker for, but I think her peers just clear her easy. Great voice though!
Mom can we get Jewel? We have Jewel at home…
Stolen Car // Sweetest Decline // Pass in Time //
Kind of another one of those albums that starts off with a great song and the rest is kinda inferior. The sounds are nice but it's mostly some sleepy folk rock fusion. I do like Stars All Seem to Weep with its Trip Hop prpduction tho.
I enjoy it very much. The sounds are very enjoyable. I can see myself listening to this on a long walk in a park.
Im sure with repeat listens the sombre lyrics would get better and better but too long and repetitive on first listen
Good singer but the album was a bit boring for my taste.
Kinda good; a different jam.
Is this the only album to feature both Dr. Robert and Dr. John? What other pop culture doctor could have made it a hat-trick? I'm voting for Dr. Miriam Margolis gently intoning advice on thrush for all those come down clubbers that loved this record back in the day.
Gorgeous in places, for me starts to run a bit too long and lacks variety
Nice, easy listening that made for good background music. Can't say this is something I'll come back to, but it certainly was good for what it was. Solid 3.
Not something I could see myself seeking out directly, but this made for a reasonably enjoyable listen this Monday morning. Her vocals feel familiar -- perhaps its just a common sound from the 90s. Either way, I found them to be calm, but confident and the songs themselves were solid. Appreciated the variation throughout with two of my favorites being the more "up beat" and trip-hop-ish Stars All Seem to Weep, and almost stripped bare Blood Red River. Also liked the writing on Couldn't Cause Me Harm even if the bell sounds feel particularly dated. This is somewhere on a high 3 / low 4 divide. Going low side because, while this is nice, I don't see myself running back.
Singer-songwriter stuff is similar to punk for me where it's just not really my vibe. That said, I did enjoy this one a fair bit more than most singer-songwriter stuff we have had so far. On the SS scale it would be a 4, but because we are on a regular scale it'll have to settle for a 3. Nothing exciting, but she's got a good voice.
Kinda has a Joni Mitchell vibe to her on some songs. Some sounded cool but I also got bored by a few. Solid 3.
Started strong, but the trip-hop elements sucked the score down from a four to a three. By the end, I was getting a little bored with the sameness.
Wasn't familiar with Beth's music, and I thought it was okay, it's calm, it's about experiences and how life moves through everything, how you carry yourself and being alive. Something different at least.
Beautiful voice. 90s feel and instrumentation
Good to be back in the somewhat-present once again. I'm sure I've never heard of Beth Orton before, but knowing how all of these 90s singer/songwriter albums pan out I'm expecting to be jumpscared by a song I recognise within the hour. Yeah, it ain't bad. I've been struggling with keeping on top of this list lately, so I appreciate being given something which is just pretty alright. For whatever reason I've had Alanis Morissette's Jagged Little Pill stuck in the back of my head lately, especially "You Oughta Know" and "Hand in My Pocket". This album scratches that same itch for me, albeit with a more subdued and less horrifically dated production. Orton's vocal performance is the obvious highlight. She has a pretty great singing voice which is set to some dynamic songwriting and impressive instrumentals. "Sweetest Decline" has some great strings, and I quite like the oscillating tone in Orton's vocals. "Couldn't Cause Me Harm" is in the same ballpark. A pretty clean song from start to end. There's some excellent vocals during the chorus, and I quite like the noir-esque instrumental. The soft synth in the background during the outro of the song is very pleasing, and the gravelly guitar gives the track a surprising bit of kick. In a bit of a hot streak for this album, "So Much More" is also a good track. The dreamy ambience is pretty superb - especially the delicate guitarwork and the intricate piano performance down the middle of the track. "Pass in Time" may err on the side of being a bit too long, but it features Orton's best vocal performance and some beautiful lyrics. I'm also a fan of the intimacy that comes from having a predominantly-acoustic instrumental. Yeah. I like all of these songs and have nearly the exact same things to say about them. A pleasing, restful sound. Great vocals. Some interesting musical embellishments. An impressive display of variety. "Stars All Seem to Weep" is the most noteworthy of the remaining tracks, where some heavy trip-hop percussion is paired with a great cosmic sound. Trip-hop and "cosmic" music are two of my favourite musical niches, so the song is firmly up my alley. Checking the book entry for this album. Nothing much in there of note. Wikipedia reveals that this album won two awards and was well-received by critics. Yeah, this could probably do with a snub from the must-hear album list, but I'm on this album's side. There's something healing about this music which really struck a chord with me. I shall jubilantly turn a blind eye to this entry.
Beautiful album. She has an amazing voice
I liked it, relaxing, nice vocals. Favourite track was Couldn't Cause me Harm.
This is the soundtrack to a John Cusack 90’s rom-com
I enjoyed this but it seemed too long. Probably worth checking out again another day, but I don't think it needed to be an hour.
Sarah Cracknell was the true Come Down Queen. This is the new hill I have chosen to die on.
Talented singer songwriter…that’s all I got.
I was introduced to Beth Orton through an ex. He was really into British bands - kind of straddling the line between folk and electronic - and her music fit right into that space. We were together when Central Reservation came out, and it sat comfortably alongside The Chemical Brothers and Air, both of which were on heavy rotation for us in the late ’90s and early 2000s. That era felt a bit overrun by pop music, so I probably connected more with the British stuff - it felt layered, moodier, more textured. Beth Orton’s music had this grown-up quality to it. She was expressing things I hadn’t quite experienced yet, but I understood on some level. Her songs had depth, even if I wasn’t fully there emotionally at the time. Listening again all these years later, I actually appreciate her more. I still don’t play her often, but I wasn’t mad at the listen and it felt good to reconnect. She’s an exceptional artist.
A little weird but not bad. Only got through first half or so
I like the feel of the album, but I went through it twice without it making a dent. Willing to try again, though.
I didn't like this one too much, it's a bit too bland for my taste. It's a mix of folk with some sort of stripped down trip-hop/electronica, but it never really got going for me. It's also a bit overlong at almost 1 hour. I felt like the second half was better as there's more of a folk vibe that works well. I feel like Orton has a good voice and isn't a bad songwriter, but the album never really clicked for me. Not to be that guy, but it feels similar to Dido, only less catchy. "Pass In Time" and "Love Like Laughter" were pretty nice. Many songs felt very similar to each other though.
I've had this CD for years, and always kind of enjoyed it but never really connected with it fully. I was introduced to Beth Orton, like many people I imagine, through her features on Chemical Brothers tracks. I think she has a great voice, and really appreciate the blend of genres, but there's something missing for me. Some great standout tracks though, particularly Stolen Car, Pass in Time, and the title track.
She sounded fine and the album itself was fine. Reminded me a lot of stuff like Alanis Morissette and stuff like that. Just got a bit boring towards the end.
stolen car- 4 or 5 sweetest decline- 4 couldnt cause me harm- 5. the chorus is good so much more- 4 pass in time- 3 central reservation- 3 or 4 stars all seem to weep- 4 im bored
Pretty interesting need to give it a few more listens
If the whole album was like the first song, that would be a new favorite for me. Alas, the other songs are very different and it did get boring by the end. Also I'd say it's a bit too long. She has a nice voice and that first song is truly amazing, so I'll check her other albums out.
This was not my jam but it was good. I felt like it had a Joni Mitchell feel. I probably need to spend more time listening to the lyrics and songwriting.
Meh
its a cool blend of folk pop and downtempo but it def drags a bit
C’est le style d’album qui me fait penser à la crème caramel… C’est pas mauvais, mais aucun wow!
Pas mauvais quoique pas mal anémique et soporifique. La chanson titre, ainsi que Stolen Car, sont pas mal. Stars all seem to weep avec son petit son electro très 90’s aussi. Mais au final un peu de pep n’aurait pas fait de tort!
This feels like the onslaught of artists similar to Natalie Merchant, Jewel, Joan Osborne and to a lesser extent the Cranberries. There is a bit more polished feel to this album with the strings, slide guitar and the Fender Rhodes keyboard.
A pretty plain, singer/songwriter album. Not horrible but shouldn't be on this list. 2.5/5 -> 3/5
Bit disappointed to discover that Beth Orton is basically trendy 90s Dido. The sound is really nice and chilled but then it doesn't really go anywhere for an hour. So the album title feels quite appropriate. Her appearances on Chemical Brothers tracks are all comfortably better than everything here but it was pleasant enough listening.
Beth Orton's Central Reservation was a lovely surprise. She has a soft and calming voice that washes over you; it's a voice that's perfect for folk music. There's the slightest touch of electronic, which makes Central Reservation quite different. Orton stayed mainly with folk, but the slight electronic tones made this album stand out. I hear a lot of inspiration from other nineties women singer songwriters that came before Orton. A lot of recognition was in the lyrics and their style, but the pacing and content as well.
This was not a very exciting album, but it was peaceful and made for nice listening. The dabbling in electronic sounds was ever so subtle, not detracting from the folkiness of the album. I absolutely LOVE Beth Orton's voice, but I think the style of music kept me from loving the album. Still, her vocals are perfect here and her voice was a large part of what made the album so good.
Good
Itsok
i mean its alright like
It's a good listen.
Decent enough chill album
a ratos peca de dosmilero
Kinda washed over me in a pleasant way. Liked the first couple of tracks a lot but then it petered away a bit. Good closing track too. She has a good voice for the folky stuff she's using it for. Inoffensive.
I like the stripped-down feel of the songs, it reminded me a bit of PJ Harvey. but some of the songs did feel a bit same-y to me. Maybe I need to listen to it again, I dunno. Top tracks: "Pass In time," "Love Like Laughter"
Highly listenable and quality. Not anything I would normally reach for but impressive. “Sweetest Decline” is a great track. Natalie merchant sounding voice. Nice lyrics. Great instrumentation and production. Glad I was exposed to this.
A bit drawn out and slow, but calming and melodic. Reminds me a bit of Aurora.
No está mal, las guitarras están bien, las letras son bastante buenas, buen álbum de cantautora, le pondría un 7, aunque puede sonar repetitivo
A few songs I enjoyed it just feels like she has not settled on a sound that feels right. Many of the songs last much longer that I like despite having some great lyrics.
Favorite Track: Pass in Time
Some songs really interested me but most was just background music.
I feel like I've heard the opener Stolen Car. I dig Pass in Time! Not really my style overall but this was nice to listen to and she's got a beautiful voice!
Decent 90’s album. Poppy , Sarah McLaughlinish.
Seems like a talented voice. Nothing really stood out for me, though.
Its pk a pop indie album woth good overall songs and production value. Not my thing
Enjoyed this a fair amount. Granted, I listened to it over like, 3 days, so I should give it another chance.
It's okay. A little too folky for me.
Not bad. Definitely has the feel of the late 90s, and there are some excellent songs on here. I feel like almost every song could use some editing though, like a minute or more shorter for each track would have tightened up the album as a whole. “Stars all seem to Weep” was a highlight.
I think this one is fine but not my jam. I feel like giving it a 2 would be a disservice just because it's not for me. I feel like it is a well put together album so I'm going to give it a 3.
Not for me
Op zich mooie producties en lekker (misschien te) kalm. Een paar leuke uitschieters als Sweetest Decline en Central Reservation 'the Then Again Version' maar verder niet super boeiend op eerste listen.
Ik vond het eerste nummer heel nice, daarna kakte het vond ik behoorlijk in
Folksy Calming
Fun and folky.
Pleasant lyricist. Not sure the music matches the emotions of the lyrics though. Doesn't hit. Not entirely sure what makes this a must-listen album. Mid.
Central Reservation is an "okay" album. Nothing here shines too much, but it has a certain charm with all its melodic attempts and there is some heart in the compositions. As someone said here, this is what would be the result if the color beige became an album. -- Central Reservation é um álbum "okay". Nada aqui brilha muito, mas ele tem um certo charme com todas as tentativas melódicas e há algum coração nas composições. Como alguém disse aqui, esse seria o resultado se a cor bege fosse um álbum. -- 6,5/10
An ok folk album. Nothing really stuck out to me.
Hmm, this was perfectly fine for background music. I didn't really care though. It was totally fine.
Listens: 2 Standout Tracks: Stolen Car, Stars All Seem To Weep, Devil Song It's okay. Some decent tracks and some unmemorable. Nothing particularly bad.
Her voice is like if Jewel and Dido had a baby- gorgeous! Really liked the album. 3.8 for me. Not quite sure I'd listen to it again.
3 Timing is everything with albums like this one. In 1999, we were overrun with bleeping loud, shiny, noisy Pop, Hip-Hop and Electronica. So, Orton's smooth Linda Thompson/Marianne Faithfull esque-voice was soothing. Even better was the British Folk/Seventies singer-songwriter production. 25 years later, those are de rigueur in Indie Rock - especially with female singer/songwriters. Points for setting up the template but not the groundbreaker it is purported to be.
Good album overall. Not my favorite genre, but her voice is amazing, the songwritting is excellent as well.
Rock, Pop, soft, 1999 -> 3
I was expecting to like this more.
The 90s were a weird decade for music. Sort of a tamed down Alanis Morisette, it got pretty sleepy after 2-3 tracks. Honestly sounds a bit like elevator music. Maybe not a "bad" listen, but not something I'd go out of my way to listen to again.
идея правильная но исполнение не вдохновило
Soft
Didn't get to this on Friday so listening now. okay I mean it's alright but it's a little depressing. only made it through 5 tracks. 3 Stars
What Songs: Ohia is for Neil Young, Beth Orton is for Joni Mitchell. Her voice and acoustic songs are very reminiscent of Joni Mitchell especially. The Electronic touches here don't feel overbearing and seem to aid the music well. Beth Orton's voice is beautiful and the recording is very clear. Overall enjoyable, but songs sort of started blending together by the second half and becoming a bit less interesting.
Another very 90s sounding album, though not as strong as some other ones we've had in my opinion. The sound is alright, but I am having a bit of trouble really appreciating the songs. My favourite one was 'Feel To Believe', which was surprisingly good, but other than that I don't really remember anything that stood out other than it was "pretty decent".
“Stolen Car” was a pretty decent song if you can look past the very 90s production. Like a more folksy and chill Alanis Morissette. The rest felt more chill and kind of bland. Her singing is nice, the songs are nice but I can’t say much more about it. It’s music is very hard to dislike. My favorite chill song was “Pass in Time”, felt a bit like a female “Fleet Foxes” and the backing vocals was a nice addition. I can see my self putting this on as dinner music or reading music. It’s chill and nice. A very standard 3, not bad, just nothing to set it very much apart and make it memorable.
It’s decent, but not something I’d revisit.
It's a really nice sound, it's a really nice mood, it just never goes anywhere. What's wrong with modern music's antipathy towards chorus?
#102 - Has some decent songs, she's a sort of proto-Dido. Enjoyable. But some others are filler.
Well, I thought I was in for a treat. A female vocalist with a folksy vibe… sign me up. I started off well enough but by the end her voice was annoying me a little. Shame! It was ok I guess
This one grew on me. There’s a nice, folky and only lightly poppy feel this album, it felt like music the artist wanted to make and definitely something of a blueprint for more “alternative” female pop singers to come. It had some interesting turns and I liked some of the more ‘western’ style elements - Devil Song sounded like it belonged as a title track to Red Dead Redemption or a similar vibe of gritty western drama. Not hugely exciting, but liked the composition and vocals.
I used to like her a lot, and some of the lyrics still resonated. However, I find her voice annoying now
3 1/2 Stars: I haven't listened to this album since my college days and it's still the same moody listen carried by Orton's unique vocals. The only downside is the album starts to sound "samey" after a while. To top it off it's got an hour runtime, so by the 30-minute mark I was ready to move on. Still, her sound might make a good first listen for the uninitiated.
It's... Fine I guess?
She’s got a good voice and it’s all nicely arranged, with good musicianship. Just not my cup of tea
Ja kocham smutne kobiety z gitarą i pianinem, ale to chyba jakiś przykry wyjątek. Głos czysty i głęboki. Kompozycje sprawne. Ale nie wiem, lubię smutne piosenki, ale ta są bardziej smętne niż smutne. Bez polotu, iskry bożej i jakiegoś błysku. Doceniam, ale szybko zapomnę. 6/10
Who? I love acoustic singer-songwriter music, but this is really boring. Sounds like music that would be playing in a cafe on a Tuesday morning. Definitely easier to listen to than some of the other albums this project has thrown at me, but it's still not my favorite.
Great voice, couple good songs. Lot of airy filler
6/10
6/10
Bland writing but the musicality and production is very good.
Lukewarm singer-songwriter with a couple neat instrumental additions.
I feel like Beth Orton is always a half inch away from pulling off some truly great songs but something always feels off to me, and I think it’s her voice. It’s a very distinctive droll delivery that pulls these songs down just a notch. But that’s just me. Don’t get me wrong…she’s a really good songwriter. Objectively there is nothing wrong with any of this. I’m just not a fan of her voice.
This is the easiest 3-star review ever; I don't think I've encountered a more middle-of-the-road album yet. Perfectly fine but also perfectly forgettable.
Haunting vocals, with the music to match. Beth is brilliant at creating an atmosphere across an entire album. Central Reservation keeps you interested and calm throughout.
Not bad, nice creative and personal album, not my favorite thing but had a good time.
Not a massive fan of whining folk music but I can find merits in this. When Beth avoids the mega whine she is dynamic and engaging. I can hear lots of other successful artists in her music. Clearly a model that works for which she can be acclaimed in parts. Calming little number in background. Neil young had beaten me so low I wasn't thrilled to get this but it wore me down eventually.
Just one of those artistic albums by artistic persons that are just meh
Meh, was sorta like a white girl version of Sade
Pretty whatevs I guess, big Fan of the wrestler tho
Es como la white girl music de los 2000
It should be illegal to put a song that good as the opening track and then follow it up with an hour of music that is not nearly as good and also very different in style.
This album kinda went downhill at like the end of the first song?
Meh
Fine, whatever, not really remarkable either way
78% Best: Stolen Car; Couldn’t Cause Me Harm; Stars All Seem to Weep Must-Hear? Not quite
A fine album, but it feels like another album that is on here because it is British. It will always continue to confuse me why so many no-name British bands made this list, while several massive albums were excluded (I have ranted about this too many times, look at my other reviews for some examples that were excluded). I have no complaints about this album (beside the fact it could have been 15 minutes shorter), this is just a very middle-of-the-road kind of album. Nothing mind blowing, nothing terrible, and not very memorable. Mid 3.
molto rilassante , è brava..
Overall ok album Standout songs: Pass in time Devil Song
Hold up Dr. John is on this album? Never knew he could be so subtle.
Cool
Its ok
6.5/10. Its good, I think it definitely is typical of the time it was written and possibly isn't bringing anything ground breaking but the songwriting is pretty solid and I love the opening track 'Stolen Car', so bonus points for that. Overall it just sort of does what it does and that's alright
Decent
Before today if I was asked “who is Beth Orton?” I couldn’t have told you. Thanks to 1001 Albums I listened to this very nice album that I’d otherwise wouldn’t. Of late after listening to many of the unfamiliar album offerings I’ve wondered why I torture myself. This album is an exception with an agreeable mix of melancholy, smooth vocals & a nice acoustic instrumental accompaniment.
Nothing special, but pleasant
sounds a lot like dido but 15 years earlier.
I never heard her before so I was happily surprised. A good female vocal artist. I enjoyed this album.
Music to clean your house to in autumn. I like
Quiet and restrained. A bit reminiscent of Cat Powers in parts
Me gusta
Just a solid singer songwriter record. Nothing too crazy but I enjoyed my time with central reservation got a couple of saved tracks. Nice and simple
Pretty cool when it leans into the folky, electronic side; pretty generic when it leans into the singer-songwriter side.
Solid start, tapers off. Nice and melodic, folksy.
Great voice, nice songs. But definitely not essential.
Liked it more than expected, but also just good as background music
I hate pop because most of it just focuses on not being bad instead of trying to be good. Central Reservation is such a nothing burger, with great vocals and pretty much nothing else. Why would I choose to listen to something that's not trying to be good when there's so much music that actually tries to be exciting and succeeds? Like, being a good vocalist—and Beth Orton is a good vocalist—is not enough to make good music. You have to think about the other aspects of the composition too. But here, in the first half, everything outside of vocals is unremarkable, and in the second half, they just completely gave up, it seems.
I liked the first track and found it a bit interesting but my interest quickly dropped and it just became a bit plain and samey Standouts Stolen Car 3/5
Pretty yet pretty unremarkable
Meh
First time listening to her. Nice voice, reminds me of Natalie Merchant? To me awhile to figure that out. The problem isn’t her voice, just that none of the songs seem to go anywhere. Very flat. And then the songs also don’t build on each other. It's not atmospheric enough for floating along to, but never picks up enough energy to get things moving. Meh.
Overall not my bag, but still a solid album with some nice songs. The Everything But the Girl involvement/influence is strong, also got some Dido vibes. Would come back for Sweetest Decline and Pass in Time.
That was very nice. Will have to listen again to decide if it’s very very nice or just nice.
I discovered this album only a couple of years ago. I absolutely adore 'Stolen Car', its such a great song, the rest of the album doesn't live up to its quality unfortunately. But it's still pretty good for a folky rock album.
Sounds like a really lovely nap I didn’t mean to take.
I’ve liked this more than most things listened to on this journey. Stars seem to weep was probably my favorite.
It's fine. 3
This was fine. I'm not sure I like her brand of folk enough to want it for almost an hour. Through some research, I learned she went and lived with Buddhist nuns in Thailand a few years before releasing this album. I'm not sure that comes out in the music tho :/ 3.5 rounded down to 3
The term ‘Folktronic’ is a great description for this album, especially for STARS ALL SEEM TO WEEP (terrific song). Another highlight was COULDN’T CAUSE ME HARM. Ultimately, while I recognize this album was mixed really well, I feel like it was missing something to make it superb.
Aggressively medium, got boring by the end
Her voice is beautiful, lyrics poignant, and guitar calming. But I was way too sleep to make it through the chillness of this album
I like this style of music a lot and other artists all to this sound. I probably appreciate those a little more but I won’t let that be an indictment on this
Reminded me a lot of the moody songs they would put over the game of thrones season trailers. I liked it enough that I would revisit
folktronica hard to hate, hard to love. Very Beige
Maybe a 4. Great voice.
beautiful voice. Very 90's vibe. I liked it.
Pleasant album. Would never have heard if not for the project.
Enjoyable background music while programming.
Another British artist with whom I am unfamiliar. She has a good voice but after about eight songs I began to find it slightly annoying. Overall it was not memorable, although there were a few good tunes. If the ratings were 0-10 this album would get 5. I’ll round up to 3/5.
Now, I don't mean this in a negative way... this album is pleasant. Mellow to listen to, sweet voice and nice instrumentals. It's an album you could put on and no one would be offended - but the reverse of that is no one would be interested enough to say "Oh, who's this?" and that's what gets me thinking again, did I need to hear this? I'm glad I did. I like it. But did I *need* to? Best Tracks: Stolen Car; Love Like Laughter; Blood Red River
Never heard this album before. I couldn't remember how I'd heard Beth Orton, as none of the songs on this album are familiar. I finally figured out that I know "She Cries Your Name" (not on this album) which is an okay song. Overall I'm pretty unimpressed by this album. I don't find her vocals particularly compelling, and she doesn't write any of the material. There are far better singers out there who also write much better songs. At least this is the only album of hers on the list. It doesn't deserve to be on the list. Soft 3 stars.
Not bad. I enjoyed it. I wish there were more female artists in this list.
The first song, Stolen Car, was so good I couldn't understand the bad reviews. Then I listened to the rest of the album. Oh. Nice voice, forgettable songs. Also don't listen to The Dark Side of the Moon the same day as rating other albums. It's unfair. Sorry Beth.
A modern Joni Mitchell, but without quite the presence of Joni or k.d. lang. Not bad, but not truly engaging. I think she's probably better experienced live, in a more intimate setting.
Not familiar with her at all. Not bad, but nothing to bring me back either.
Started strong with great vocals and a driving rhythm and then plateaued to become repetitive.
Si bien no conocía nada de "Beth Orton", creo que "Central Reservation" es un buen primer acercamiento a los trabajos de la británica. El sonido es prístino y ligero, mezclando con éxito las tendencias del alternativo noventero británico con composiciones de Folk más tracionales. Sin embargo, este definitivamente no es mi tipo de música. Suena como algo que escucharía en un Starbucks. Quizá es el mejor tipo de "Muzak de cafetería", ya que indudablemente es bueno; sin embargo, siento que este "neofolkrockpop" pop de artistas como Alanis Morrissette, Tracey Chapman, Sixpence None the Richer, aburre bastante rápido, razón de la porque discos de este estilo envejecen mal y no tanto así los singles. Si tuviera que decir otra crítica es que las canciones son ridículamente largas, sin necesidad o justificación; la idea se entiende fácilmente en los primeros 3 minutos. Sin embargo, la decisión de alargarlas era algo típico de la industria musical en dicho periodo de tiempo. Creo que las partes más fuertes de este album yacen en las canciones menos pop y más cercanas el country/folk. Pistas destacadas: Sweetest Decline So Much More Pass In Time Central Reservation