Reviews (page 4 of 8)
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.
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.
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.
I thought this was pleasant
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.