Central Reservation

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

It was pretty good. Not really under my wheelhouse of music though.

Quiet

Decent

started off real strong and only really faltered a little. a really unique sounds and a really unique voice, i think alot of it just didnt quite gel with me in the end though.

Nice enough but utterly forgettable.

No está mal, pero me aburrió un poco, tendría que darle otra oportunidad

This was nice but no particular song really stood out to me on a first pass. I think i'd like to listen to more but 55 minutes of this kind of thing is bit too much of a nice thing. I kinda wish the music had a little more room to breathe, the vocals (while impressive) seem to be taking full focus 98% of the time. That's a little too vocal-forward for my tastes.

Cool, just not my age.

Bland and uninspiring. Fine for background music.

Lovely record. When it was tinged with more electronic elements or started to get really interesting. Likewise when it was stripped right back to just voice and guitar. If it had more of either or both them it would be a 4*. I like forward to listening again

Half-liked it and half-beared it. Some songs were really beautiful but the rest I couldnt care for so its a 3 Incredibly pretty album art. Would marry and give the princess treatment for the rest of our lives

Very poetical, bit repetitive with the guitar

slow and cute so far, don’t hate it and i quite like the piano and her voice.

Something I’ve picked up on over the course of this project so far is that if an album comes up from someone I’ve never heard of even a little bit, there’s a good chance it will fall somewhere on the spectrum of completely forgettable to actively terrible. Based on that observation I had low hopes for this album from Beth Orton, but I was pleasantly surprised. There are some interesting arrangements and a decent amount of variation without losing a feeling of cohesion. She has a nice voice and her lyrics are mostly pretty thoughtful. I’m not sure if I’d listen to the entire album again more than once (I do feel like I should give the entire thing another listen at some point), but there are some songs that I particularly like “Sweetest Decline”, “Stars All Seem to Weep” and “Blood Red River”. It’s an enjoyable listen overall. Solid 7/10 ⭐️

A bit meh

I liked it but not quite a 4. Voice was nice and I liked most of the songs but some were a little too mopey for me. 3.5

Sounds like an album I should like if I want to be taken seriously as a music fan.

5/10

It's nice and musically accomplished, but not my vibe. A bit nostalgic for the late 90s sound.

I liked her wistful way of singing, perhaps for one song at a time. I don't love a whole album of her voice. Her songs are pretty but aside from "Stolen Car," nothing really stands out to me. 2.5⭐️

Big Joni vibes on this one. Beautiful vocals and some tasteful 90s electronic elements. I didn’t *love* it, but describing it as merely pleasant is selling it a bit short. Good stuff.

Low key

Pretty solid. I like some of her other songs a lot and I also slept through a bit of this, but no hate she’s cool

Meh? It wasn’t only okay. If this were on the list, so. Should 10,000 maniacs In My Tribe. I understand that it was a monumental feat to produce this list and update it on a regular basis…and it feels like it has an English slant. And the knowledge it took to do all this is amazing. It would be interesting. To have someone from New York or L.A. produce this. Seems that the core might be the same, but the fringe things would change.

Solid album, some very good standouts, and blood red river is a great somber song.

Classic indie mazzy star vibes

Blind album and artist. Album started very strong with the opener, but a lot of the other tracks felt weaker but the same style. It was well rounded, but not something I would seek out

I find this album frustratingly inconsistent but I definitely hear the potential and it make me intrigued to listen to more of her music, here’s hoping she sticks with the trip-hop sound. Favourite track: Stars All Seem To Weep

Ooh boy. This was certainly underwhelming. A lot of moaning for no real sense of relief anywhere on the project. It is really a whatever album. Sure, I’ll listen to it. Stop it if you want. I don’t care, whatever. 3/5

Sometimes you write a long review only to step back and realize all you've said was you liked a record well enough — your criticisms are so minor they don't even seem worth posting. In short, it's a good record, but I found it to be too long by 4 songs.

Very pretty. I'd forgotten that this was a performer that all my lesbian friends used to listen to Back in the Day.

"Pleasant" is the most I can give this. Terribly inoffensive, to the point where I'm wondering why it's included here. Sounds like it could be played at quiet volume in hundreds of coffee shops and reception waiting areas that you might have been in and you never would have noticed. 2.5*

It’s fine.

A relaxed album, but a bit samey towards the end

3.5

Nice voice, nice vibe. "Devil Song" might go into one of the Halloween playlists.

I enjoyed this and would probably listen to again. But probably 3.5 stars

She's got a nice voice, and I like a bunch of the arrangements and instruments. There's some gentle vibraphone running through some tracks that's really nice, along with various strings. The more upbeat numbers also tend to hit a bit better. I'm sad to say that the nicer elements of this get overshadowed by the overall slog though. The songs are long, and it really lags a lot. I thought I was coming up to the end, before realising I was only half-way through. At its worst, it's boring, and it feels like a chore. 2.5 rounded up.

Loved the one that sounded right off the Metroid Prime soundtrack

I found this a bit boring and dull

Beautiful voice. At points it feels quite emotionally charged and at others, feels pretty peaceful and contemplative. The album was a little long for my liking.

I really loved the opener Stolen Car. Afterwards I got quite bored unfortunately. I enjoyed Feel to Believe towards the end. I think this is a 3/3.5, doesn't work super well for me but is nice overall.

Stolen Car is a great song. Rest of the album is ok 3/5

Ok

Never heard of this artist. It's okay, nice background music for the office.

Angenehme Stimme, schöne Gitarrenbegleitung. Teilweise aber auch etwas arg langsam und in die Länge gezogen.

Not quite a 4, but liked it

This was… not bad at first but then it got worse. I did like it though.

inoffensiva, ma un po' dimenticabile. lei carinissima e prende un punto in più per essere una donna, in un atto di protesta assolutamente non imparziale perchè in questo sito ce ne sono veramente troppo poche :)

Lei cutie, ma non penso che questo album sia uno di quello che riascolterei volontariamente.

Nice and easy, but if I had her in a mix of other women artists of the release time I wouldn’t be able to pick her out.

The vocals on this album were great, but none of the songs really grabbed my interest.

Sort of a downmarket Nora Jones. Also fine, but not like, super.

Her tormented voice Makes me want to listen to The Cowboy Junkies.

Very paint inside the lines music. I haven't heard it before and it feels like I have, in a way that makes me sad for all the others that sounded like this. There's interesting elements steamrollered into the 90s alt pop singer sound. Why did they put so much effort into making all these songwriters sound identical? Makes the whole music thing seem like an exercise in picking out a permutation from a small collection of elements - and sure, ok, it is just like fiction is picking out an arrangement of words. verbs, adjectives, nouns. 4.5 seconds of lead guitar. But when it's good you don't think about that. When you listen to Central Reservation it's all there is to think about. music: hated. (⌐■_■)

I liked it but it sounded way to similar to Fiona Apple

Not bad, but not for me. Standouts include Stolen Car, Pass In Time, Stars All Seem To Weep, and Blood Red River.

Pleasant! I liked it all the way though, if it’s not particularly memorable.

Hm!

Strong start and dips in quality a little bit. Overall enjoyed

If I had to describe this album in 1 word, it would be beige. Never heard of Beth Orton before, but actually enjoyed having this playing over my sound system while driving. Not necessarily an album I would sought out to listen to again, but one that I won’t skip on rotation. One criticism though is how every song just blends into the next, so much so that I didn’t even realise when I completed the album and Apple Music repeated it from the top till I was halfway through a 2nd listen. 3/5

A good album in the singer/songwriter style. A genre I more often than not have a soft spot for. Mostly introspective songs touching on relationships although lyrics are cryptic enough to about whatever you want them to mean. Notable songs include "Stolen Car", "Central Reservations" and "Feel to Believe"

Well, it's not offensive but it doesn't enthuse me. Just not to my taste.

Singer/Songwriter, nothing incredible but good… 5/10

It’s alright I guess. Idc.

I really liked the opening track.

Very good

Good production and interesting arrangements, not my style

Standard 90s fare. Decent but unremarkable.

К концу альбома я в целом принял этот альбом в той или иной мере, но мне совершенно не ясно, чем этот альбом заслуживает место в списке альбомов, которые нужно услышать в жизни. С какой позиции во времени не посмотри - до, или после релиза альбома, - это хорошо исполненная, но нисколько не оригинальная музыка. Не вся музыка должна быть оригинальной, чтобы быть услышанной, но что-то же должно выделять альбом или песню из тысяч и тысяч других? Культурное влияние? Слава? Популяризация уже давно установленного жанра? Мне не кажется, что этот альбом выделяется хотя бы чем-то из этого. Лучшая песня - Blood Red River.

Nice, a bit slow and soft for me to listen to an entire album. Also I remember her and her voice but no specific songs!!

Not my style.

Not bad. Had hints of Alanis Morissette, Sarah MacLaughlin, and Tori Amos, but yet the whole album sounded the same. Fits right in with the other 90’s female vocalists - but there’s a reason it didn’t become a hit like the others did.

Listened Before? N Kind of mediocre. I had high hopes after the first song "Stolen Car" but unfortunately, it's the stand-out from the record. I didn't hate it, but her voice drones after a bit, and the electronic music could've just been replaced with a band as it doesn't do much to add to the songs (and in fact makes them overcomplicated sometimes). Overall a okay listen but I won't revisit. I'll give it an extra star for production value. Added to Library? N Songs added to playlist: Stolen Car

Beautiful voice. Boring songs.

Album 429 of 1001 Beth Orton - Central Reservation Rating : 3.5 / 5 Another female singer/songwriter I wasn't familiar with . Certainly representative of its period when so many of the same were releasing lots of good music. Around the same time that Dawson' Creek theme was popular. Along that same genre. It brought that to mind.

This was a little uneven to me, but it had its moments. At time, it’s pretty straightforward pop-folk and at other times it will have more electronic or trio hop stylings.

another first. only knew her through the Chemical Brothers tune. not exactly in my wheelhouse here but i enjoyed it

Not bad chill kind of folkish songs. I have never heard of her but I would listen again, its really pretty good. Fits a genre of folk music that I enjoy.

Mid

Pretty good. I’m always a sucker for 90s solo female singer

Meh, chill boring music

After the first song, I was sort of expecting a Cranberries-adjacent singer over bland acoustic rock for an hour, but luckily the rest of the album was a lot more downtempo and folksy, leading to my genuine enjoyment of a lot of these songs. It isn't anything I'm over the moon for, but it has the just right amount of 90s edge to make some songs go in a direction you don't expect, and considering the appearance of trip hop beats at some points, the rest of the album mostly feels like an analogue take on that style of songwriting. It is still far too long, and a lot of the songs can come in one ear and out the other, but there's a consistency here that's solid and kept me surprisingly entertained. I think stronger instrumentation would've taken this much farther, and I hope one of her other albums does just that.

Stolen Car - 3 Sweetest Decline - 3 Couldn't Cause Me Harm - 3 So More More - 3 Pass in Time - 3 Central Reservation - 2 Stars All Seem to Weep - 3 Love Like Laughter - 3 Blood Red River - 2 Devil Song - 3 Feel to Believe - 3

06/06/24 S Tier—————————5 A Tier—————————4 Stolen Car Stars All Seem to Weep Couldn’t Cause Me Harm B Tier—————————3 Sweetest Decline Pass in Time Feel to Believe So Much More Blood River Central Reservation C Tier—————————2 D Tier—————————1

Central Reservation by Beth Orten Thursday 6/6/2024 2:23 S Tier————————— Stolen Car A Tier————————— Couldn’t Cause Me Harm Stars All Seem To Weep B Tier————————— So Much More Pass In Time Feel to Believe Blood Red River Love Like Laughter Central Reservation Sweetest Decline Devil Song

Middle of the road folk country electronica done well. Very distinctive voice. Good title track.

I was a bit hesitant, I must admit, when this came up. I had a sense of, ‘I can’t be bothered’ - but I’m glad I did listen as it’s a really intriguing, and calming, album. Thank you, 1001albumsgenerator!

I really struggled with this and had to listen to it multiple times over quite a long period of time to get my head around why. Stolen Car is lovely, and towards the end of the album stuff gets pared down a bit more and that sort of works. But there's just way too much production on most of the album for me to really like it. Now, I like a bit of trip hop. I really like folk music. And I like some folktronica that actually goes out there a bit (think a bit of Tunng). This doesn't. As a result it's all a bit pedestrian and overblown. There's no Eddi Reader on this list. No Julie Fowlis. No Cara Dillon. No Kate Rusby. Hell, I'd take any of them ahead of this. It's OK. Just OK. Stolen Car moves it to 3 stars.

A pleasant-enough folk album with electronic influences. I was interested at the beginning, but it kind of waned by the end. Reminds me of a lighter Portishead. Favorite tracks: "Stolen Car", "Stars All Seem To Weep"

Good for a rainy weekend

он слишком беспомощен чтобы его избивать приятно, софтово, чиллово алкоальбом: глинтвейн

Beth Orton’s “Central Reservation” is super smooth and chill. But it’s mostly devoid of the trip hop and fusion elements her bio says she incorporates into her music. It makes an appearance on “Stars All Seem to Weep,” making it the most interesting song on the album. Maybe that brightened my mood, as I enjoyed “Blood Red River” and “Devil Song” shortly after. All in all could have been much more.

áferðarfallegt en einhæft. á mögulega aðra umferð skilið. 3,5.

decent collection of songs

Really great voice. I could listen to this on any sunday morning.

I recognize Beth Orton's name from the early 00s listening to an independent radio station in upstate NY, but none of these songs ring a bell. I'm pleasantly surprised by this given that I don't look back fondly on a good amount of the music I remember hearing on that station (A Perfect Circle, Korn, lots of ska-punk, and plenty of emo, none of which aged well). I'm not sure why wikipedia slaps a folktronica sticker on this one. There are maybe two or three tracks that rely on the triphop style. This is mainly sparse acoustic, or bigger orchestral band stuff. My main gripe with this is her voice. It's 90% beautiful, but there are moments where she's doing something strange with her voice that doesn't work, or she's kind of out of key for a syllable. And not in a cool/weird/intriguing Patti Smith kind of way, just in a way that makes me wince. It doesn't ruin the whole album for me, but it makes it hard to give this a higher rating. It's also just shy of 1 hour, which makes it feel like it drags on certain songs. Again, I don't hate this, it's just teetering on the edge of too polished and not polished enough which is kind of annoying. I wanted it to fall to one side or the other.

Ok

Beth Orton is someone I always meant to listen more to. I bought her previous CD Trailer Park on a whim when it was a cheap sale item. I continued to hear bits from her and made a mental note to listen but never got around to it. So this arriving on my list was a timely reminder of her and I was eager to give it a listen. I enjoy this style of music. I own a lot of female vocal music and this album sits well amongst my collection. Only criticism is her voice does tend to sound a little monotonous after a while and her vocal range is not very varied. But her lyrics are thought provoking and help to immerse yourself into the music. An album well worth a further listen and as my memory has been jolted by this albums inclusion, an artist I will definitely spend time on. 3/5 14/4/24

Truly, aggressively FINE.

3 Never heard of Beth Orton - supposedly she’s a “folktronica” musician, but I really don’t hear the electronica aspect to this album except vaguely on a track or two. Fortunately, I do like a lot of folk music, and as a result, I really, really liked the opening track Stolen Car. There’s a great energy to it, and I really dig Beth’s voice, so it’s kind of a shame it’s wasted on a bunch of unmemorable coffee shop music throughout the rest of the album. It’s not bad by any means - I actually found it to be pretty good background music to get work done to - but that’s probably about the highest praise I could give. Pretty okay, but I would say I found it mostly pleasant if unremarkable and a bit long - though aside from the opening track, I don’t see myself purposefully putting this on again in the near future. This did remind me of that Gillian Welch album we had some 40 albums back, which in my opinion, is a much better offering of the genre and had much more personality to it. Looking back now, I feel like half of that album still stands out to me - may have underrated that one. This one - a 3 feels pretty accurate.

A couple of good catchy pop folk, and some dull generic folk songs. All in all, better than I expected.

She has a good voice and I suppose this is a pretty good album. Just doesn’t seem to hit with me.

I was exposed to Beth Orton through her work with the Chemical Brothers and a remix by Four Tet. I've always loved her voice. And I always attached very high expectations on her. Because of that, I never really gave her a proper chance. This album isn't as perfect as I'd hoped. But it's still very enjoyable. Maybe I should search through more of her discography sometime. There are definitely some gems on this album (like 'Stolen Car') and wading through the filler is still a pretty pleasant way to spend an afternoon.

The first half was nice coffee house type of music, then it got darker and more captivating by the second half of the album. Overall a pleasant listen, though perhaps not quite good enough to get a strong 4 from me.

This is beautiful music, it really is. The range of styles and genres is quite large, from folk to jazz piano, all with the subtle electronica touches. The string arrangements are nicely layered. Her voice can be fragile and powerful, almost like a Natalie Merchant. The vibe is definitely a “reading a book on a rainy day.”

An ok album. Didn't grab me or draw me in very much.

A very relaxing folk album. I personally preferred the upbeat songs of the album, but the rest of the slow songs weren’t so bad. I feel like everything mixes together very well; the instrument compliments her voice, and her voice compliments the instruments. Really the main gripe I have with the album is that I’m not overly fond of this style of singing, but I could see how one would be. Favorite track: Stolen Car

We like a bit o' Beth don't we. Classic indie singer/songwriter territory here, and nowt wrong with that

not too good, not too bad

This was interesting. For almost anything considered trip-hop or related to it, I have struggled to connect with the genre. This album, I feel, might be an exception. This was good with the blend of folk and electronica being quite unique. I do think some of these songs have some busy arrangements, becoming a distraction and not allowing things to flow naturally, but the best of this reminds me of Van Morrison, particularly 'Sweetest Decline', both in delivery and feel. I'm going to mark this album and revisit because I think it has some layers worth exploring.

Positive thing is that from this project I was really hoping to discover new music and I've never heard of Beth Orton so this was a really nice discovery (especially cause I listen to a lot of female singers of the 90's). I liked a few songs a lot (”sweet decline” and ”couldn't cause me harm”), although some songs were kinda forgettable. But still this was sweet.

Beth Orton being Beth Orton. I found none of the tracks to be memorable, nothing sticks with it. It is a good album, but one that is forgettable at its worst. Average three coming up!

Nice

Has some highlights, but other just standard folk.

It’s a resounding 3 that has flashes of a really nice 4, but never ever quite gets there. Ultimately, the biggest problem this album suffers from is its runtime, but it’s not in the sense that every track goes too long, it’s just that SOME of them do, and those extended periods where the song feels like it’s continuing just for the sake of padding or noise are what really drag this album down. There are some skips, don’t get me wrong, but I thought at least most of this album had really really enjoyable melodies (both vocally and instrumentally) behind them. The problem is, even with its best tracks, there are some moments of lyrical futility where it’s either full of empty platitudes or moments of repetition that are too often to not eventually notice. I will say, though, from track 8 onward, the album ends on a really nice tone, and if the album were more like its final 5 (and first 2) tracks, I’d probably be pointing in the direction of a 4. It’s just that the other 5 tracks either drag on too long, or they’re just too boring for my tastes. It’s definitely not a bad album though, you just have to be in the right mood to endure some of its longer stuff.

Just okay to me

I know her from her work with Chemical Brothers. I like her voice. This album is decent - there are some good parts, but overall it kind of runs together a little bit for me.

For me, this is a perfectly average record. I liked exactly half of the songs. Gorgeous instrumentation, though the singer's voice is a little drony on the songs I disliked. Pass in Time is a highlight, I didn't mind that it's a 7 minute song, it's a perfect, comfortable listen.

OK, but nothing struck me as essential listening

. She is great in concert.

Pleasant enough, but I prefer Trailer Park, which has a more interesting sound and cooler arrangements. but yeah, she's cool. in many ways, this album reminded me of Tim Buckley in how the two of them blend jazz and folk together, except I liked Beth's take on the genre better than Tim's.

Good, but it really dragged on by the end

Zzz…guess it was ok 3/5

I knew her voice but not her name. So happy to discover her for real.

Not bad. Not really my kind of music, but overall OK.

Eh...

stolen car, couldn't cause me harm, stars all seem to weep

Never heard. I respect this music and her artistry but this is not my style. I am only 2nd track in but not sure I will be able to listen to this.

middle

3.1

Kinda reminded me at times of Fiona Apple, or on the folksier side of Karen Dalton, at least vocal wise. Knew when to be soft and when to have some edge and I enjoyed the electronica indie bits woven in. I liked it:)

Didn’t seen as groundbreaking as people make out

pretty good with some extraordinary songs

Reminded me a bit of Joni Mitchell. An interesting British version. The songs were basic, hotel lobby/elevator music, but they were enjoyable.

Not bad at all! No expectations going into this one, but I like her style. Singer-songwriter with a more modern instrumental style, and I like the long, meandering tracks. Those work well when the music is enjoyable. Yeah, I liked this one, the standouts stood out. Favorite tracks: Stolen Car, Pass in Time, Central Reservation, Feel to Believe. Album art: Not much to look at (and I don't mean that as a slight to Ms. Orton). It's just a headshot, a little bit of a grainy filter over the top, and the framing and title text isn't doing much for me. Pretty tame, pretty lame. 3.5/5

Very dreamy and ethereal album. Beth has a very strong but relaxing voice. The music is a bit mellow and moody but cool 3

takes no risks. But it does nothing wrong... so 3

Had an absolute bop to the first track but she kinda lost my attention after that. The rest of the album was vastly different. I would have put 4.

Throwback folksy sound from an artist I've never heard from before. Strong vocals paved the way to an enjoyable listen.

This was fine.

Eh it was alright overall, nothing inspiring me enough to listen to it again.

She has a beautiful voice and some of the arrangements are lovely however nothing is memorable.

I'm not sure what I was expecting out of a "folktronica" album; acoustic guitar backed by beeps and boops?; but this really surpassed whatever those expectations might have been. Occasionally sluggish but often beautiful. A real treat that I will definitely revisit when the mood is right. Best song: Sweetest Decline

Nice one

Sounds good but never really gets going for me

Thought the first track was fantastic. The rest was a nice listen and I can definitely see why it got some nominations. Dragged a bit in places, though.

Super Chill and the autoplay went into a 3+hr coffee shop Jazz mix.

3.3 - Somehow when Beth Orton sings, I imagine a sad swan honking. Though its voice may be clear and buzzing, its vocal expression is hampered fatally by a crude bill that can only open and close, and cannot properly enunciate the words to its sad musings.

I loved trailer park but this is okay. Love her voice

Not bad but not something that I will be checking out again even as a folk fan, just doesn't stand out.

2.5 i keep getting very average albums. i just have no especially strong feelings either way towards this. wouldn't choose to listen to it again but i didn't dislike it and definitely wouldn't call it bad. the one 2-star review that calls this album inoffensive sums it up very well - it's difficult to hate and even more difficult to love.

good!! not great tho lol 2.5* but im feeling generous so lets make it 3*

Folktrónica pone... Ni fu ni fa.

Pretty nice and relaxing. Vocals are really good the strong Irish inflection which was refreshing. 6/10

A blast from the past for me. It holds up!

I really wanted to like this, so much. for someone I’ve never heard of, it had the perfect pedigree: 90s, trip hop. Lady singer. But although it sounds nice, sometimes very, very nice, most of the songs are a minute to 90 seconds too long, and I don’t really love her voice.

Nice voice, interesting lyrics. Liked the song Stolen Car

Some nice songwriting here. Lyrics were subtle but observant. Though for me, everything just felt very staid - production and vocals just a little dry. Feel like it might work better as a live recording or sumn. Fave track: Feel to Believe

Didn't connect heaps with this record. There are moments that nearly reel me in with some interesting beats or rhythms, but did find this pretty bland for the most part. Orton has a great voice, and the sincerity of her tone and lyric are appealing, but I don't think this will be one I'll be putting on all that much. Two and a half. Fave track: Central Reservation

A bit boring but charming

Solid album. Excellent vocals.

Enjoyed the presentation... definitely a folk indie feel

Some songs were really great, but it also had some boring stuff. Most songs drug on too long.

Gud

Her voice reminds me of Natalie Merchant. Sometimes her style reminds me of Joni Mitchell. She has a great command of voice and a distinct sound. There is a very loose structure to the lyrics that lends to a meandering vocal style, which doesn't really appeal to me. Even though I don't see myself seeking out her work, I know she has a lot of talent. All in all, a decent album, even if it isn't my cup of tea.

Classic

Pleasant.

it’s ok but it gets pretty boring after five or so songs. did noooot need to be an hour long.

Stolen Car is thrust into my Spotify listening quite frequently. Beth Orton is good for a few awesome songs per album. This is her second or third best album for me. Trailer Park FTW. This did prompt me to listen to her latest album, so that is a bonus of some sort.

Some serious 1999-2001 memories for me here,my darling wife used to have this on high rotation. I liked some of the songs then and still now but this isn't my go-to music.

Soothing soft rock and ballads.

Allt í lagi.

Never heard of this singer before. Nice easy listening.

Really quite pleasant

I’d never listened to her before and enjoyed this album. Folky, but with a quite modern feel. I also listened to her previous album as well.

This was t that bad in a late 90’s chick kind of way.

It's a pretty perfect three, because I like it, but not enough to really care about it. There's not really anything I dislike here, but there's not enough that I like to make it a four. It's perfectly okay. My favourite song was Stars All Seem To Weep.

3,5

Enjoyable without being mind blowing

Boring? Might require extra lidtening

Decent singer/songwriter album. Nothing special. Fav tracks: Stolen Car, Stars All Seem to Weep, Feel to Believe Least fav: Pass In Time 3/5

Great voice. But much at times. Pleasant folk-pop-electronica.

Sure, this was fine. No magic IMHO, though.

sweet

I didn't like (or remember anything about) this the first time I heard it, but my most recent listening revealed the greatness of 'Pass In Time', and that's a great song.

Right place right time for this record. I was in the mood for something chill and Beth Orton delivered. 3/5

Did not even realise when it ended and went to Portishead (thanks spotify). Not bad, not good. Very background music

Eh, average. Nothing that really stood out about it too much for me.

I've heard her collaborations with The Chemical Brothers but never listened to her own music. Some really great production and instrumentation here, and she has a great voice. It gets a bit hokey for me at times but overall I enjoyed it.

She has a really good voice and it was a good break from the hell week we’ve had. It was a nice short ish length all in all. Wasn’t the most exciting.

Great driving opening cut with "Stolen Car" - man, I don't think a good opening track can be understated - you can almost go anywhere you want after that, at least for a 3 or 4 song run. And it definitely dips a little after that - "Sweetest Decline" is a bit torch song like, and it's good but had *this* been the opener the entire model shifts. Overall a really nice listen, although I suppose in keeping with my opening statement I'd have loved more up-tempo songs; most are a bit relaxed (although each of high quality). Highlights: "Stolen Car" "So Much More" "Stars All Seem to Weep" TL;DR: Easy to listen to, would have liked more energetic songs, but overall good work. 7/10 3 stars.

I'm not really sure what the appeal is here. None of the songs grabbed me lyrically or musically. Pleasant enough but that is low praise

I like this, and think it'll grow more on me with a few more listens. It's in your Fiona Apple / Alanis Morissette wheelhouse - something that comes from folk but with a lot more fun and oomph behind it. It's not quite as full on as Alanis, but it's definitely slightly prettier music, and despite not having the emotional volume keeps the range. A downbeat album, probably not one for one of the hottest days of the year, but one that I'll add to my rotation. 3/5, lacking something really standout to push it to a 4.

Solid little ballad album, the first song is a banger

This was an enjoyable album that is very much in the “solo female singer songwriter in the 90s” genre. I don’t think this broke new ground really, but she’s got a nice folksy voice and I liked some of her darker compositions

There’s a rainy sort of melancholy here that I liked, but it didn’t really hook me in too much. I feel like this is the type of album that could grow and grow on me if I had it on cd in my car on repeat, but for now I feel like I haven’t worn it in enough for it to get that comfy.

Production sounds like consistency itself, putting not too much forward but the voice most of all. As such, Central Reservation is a particular intervention in the vaguely electric chill niche, but not one which stakes much space for itself.

Je me rappelle plus mais je crois que c'était pas mal

Some good songs, just not really into folk.

Some super good songs here, a bunch of kinda meh ones too. Solid 3 I think. 🤷

Good album overall. Nothing to memorable though

This was sometimes quite lovely, sometimes a little tedious. I probably didn't give it enough time to sink in, so it didn’t make much of an impression today, but it was a fine enough listen.

I like this but not quite enough to buy it

Excellent if you're a fan of Beth Orton, but for me it all becomes a little cloying, although without ever degenerating into tweeness. Overall, it is good but never, to these ears, great. It would benefit from being shorter and tighter.

Best Song: Stolen Car. Lovely lyrics, nice soft alt-rock. Worst Song: Central Reservation (Original Version). Not terrible, but I think the second version is just better, making this one a bit odd to include. Overall: Easy listening. Could imagine turning this on in the background while working or commuting.

La consagració artística de Beth Orton. Bon disc, que per mí aconsegueix els millors moments quan s'envolta de bases i samples que en el seu format més purament acústic. El millor exemple és la versió de 'Central Reservation' amb les aportacions de Ben Watt, en contraposició amb la versió original. I on més brilla el disc és a 'Stars All Seem to Weep', una cançó magistral com a fusió de l'univers del folk i l'electrònica. Llàstima que no es prodigui gaire més en aquest aspecte

Like Björk, but without being weird. Like Katie Melua, but trying too hard. Like Phoebe Bridgers, but without knowing how to sing. It gets a bit better further into the album to be fair. 3/5.

Her voice is really good and it was quite relaxing to have on for the drive but the songs were too forgettable to merit anything higher than a 3

Reminds me of Missy Higgins' voice. Fine but nothing to write home about for me. 3.5

I liked this - the guitars were rough around the edges in a good way and creative, and the songs were poetic and honest