Central Reservation

A few songs are amazing! The type that you listen to and they make you want to dance with your wife (who I don't know yet). But a few are mid and the rest are forgettable. Overall though, for the sum of songs that make me feel like slow dancing, the album earned a decent review.

This is alright. It’s nice. Kinda pretty sometimes. But nothing to write home about. It’d be better without the breathy singing gimmick. Mostly, the whole thing is just same-y and boring. Don’t hate, but don’t really like that much either. It’s fine. Too average for a list like this, though. 2/5

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.

Music production reminds me a bit of Norah jones but less jazzy and more folky (and a little trip hoppy?). I don’t really like voices that go “alrii-HIGHT”.

This was described as folktronica...but it was just guitars. So...folk? I imagine she would have appeared at Lilith Fair.

Ok. Not very memorable.

Peaceful, very enjoyable on a rainy Monday

Dull

Very 90s sounding, I liked the odd jazzy moments that would pop up but otherwise a bit bland.

Loved the one that sounded right off the Metroid Prime soundtrack

Lovely voice. Never heard of this person before, but this was solid.

Wasn't for me

Excellent. Exactly what I need from this list. Showing me great music that I had not heard previously.

I found this a bit boring and dull

Brings me back to San Francisco 1999 Golden Gate Park

I enjoyed this album. He voice was great and the music was very good. I would listen to her again

Reminds me of Dido, Alanis, Natalie Merchant. Beautiful voice and good tunes.

Pleasant sounding voice. Nice to drift in and out of sleep to. And/ or a background sound. Like it a lot.

Not for me.

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.

This type of album just really hits me. Love this electric folk style and then more acoustic in the second half. Beth's voice is one of my favorites to listen to and the lyrics are very strong

Boring

Boring

Meh

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

Love this sound. Very haunting voice

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

# Playlist Track - Stolen Car # Notes - Bad britpop. Annoying, uninspired, bland. - The only decent track is the first one, that is kind of discount Alanis Morrisette. - One of the worst I've listened to, so far.

2.1 listened 1x

Ok

She has a very captivating voice and this is a nice, melancholic set of songs. I particularly like the strings on Sweetest Decline, and the electronic elements on Stars All Seem to Weep. The folktronica thing doesn't feel like a gimmick, it seems a pretty natural addition to the sound. Chilled out and enjoyable

This was definitely nothing like what I was listening to back in '99. There didn't really seem to be anything offensive or attractive about this album and it just kind of ended up as folksy background music

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

Pretty good. Nice vibe.

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

Not quite a 4, but liked it

Not a huge fan.

Someone listened to Jagged Little Pill and The Lion and the Cobra and had ideas beyond their means

I'd never heard of Beth Orton before starting this project, but somehow (I can't remember when or how), I heard about this album, and based on what I heard, I got really excited to listen to it. I saw Beth's name come up again yesterday when I was reading about Lilith Fair lineups in the nineties (my album yesterday was Aimee Mann's Whatever), so it's wonderfully appropriate that this would come up today. Unfortunately, this album didn't live up to my high hopes for it. This album does have a couple of things working to its advantage: a unique sound that's well executed through beautiful melodies complimented by some great vocals. But like Aimee Mann yesterday, the sum of the parts just didn't result in anything of substance for me. While those melodies are nice, they don't really do anything over the course of the songs. I could be wrong about that, but to me, it sounded like the main melody of each song just repeated over the course of the song without changing at all. As good as the vocals were, they really didn't carry any emotion behind them. Each song just felt like Beth was saying a lot of words without really saying anything of substance; it felt like she took more and somehow turned it into less. It didn't help that this album was on the longer side, as were some of the songs. I applaud Beth Orton's ambition, and even though this album was pleasant to listen to, it just felt like a lot of fluff.

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

Had a hard time finishing this. So long and aimless. Maybe I just wasn’t in the mood but hearing one limo song after another for an hour really got to me.

Very good singer-songwriter music with a bit of an edge. Stolen Car is an excellent opening song.

This was great. Some parts were morose, but not in a way that dampened my listening experience. I hear great sincerity in the vocals (particularly in “feel to believe” and “devil song”). It’s possible I could get to a 5 if I spent more time with this.

Never heard of Beth - too bad. Could've been listening to her for years. Nice

1. car - 1 2. decline - 1 3. harm - 1 4. more - 1 5. time - 1 6. central - 1 7. ztarz - 1.5 8. laughter - 1 9. river - 1.5 10. devil - 1 11. believe - 1 12. rezervation - 0

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.

Noiosina :(

The most blandest shit I’ve heard. I could eat plain white bread with nothing on it & it’ll still be less bland than listening to this album

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 soundtrack to the season finale of any mid-2000s sitcom without a laugh track that critics used 10¢ SAT words to describe, like “piquant,” “astute,” and “revelatory,” which producers took as a compliment and quoted in bumpers that aired in the commercial break between Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune, but which magazine editors meant as a slight. Immaculate production with a 1001 overdubs doesn’t turn sparkling water into wine. Which sucks, because I like all these genres. I like trip-hop, I like ‘90s electronica, I like sophisti-pop, I like singer songwriter Mini Van Mom™️ music. But this is a vanilla waft of emptiness, and its craftsmanship isn’t a replacement for substance. I can see where Orton comes close, like on a song like “Pass in Time.” The issue is that every time she has a cute little song on her hands, she either pollutes it with too many layers that add nothing and distract from the core song, or she draws it out to an exhausting 5 minutes that feels like 20. For most of Central Reservation, she’s doing both. Combined with the fact that her voice just isn’t for me, and that her electronic choices are so amateurish she should be embarrassed that she committed them to wax, I think I could make a legitimate case against this record if it weren't so well-produced. I'm definitely not going out of my way to listen to it, and I would tell a friend to turn it off, but it also wouldn't drive me crazy in the supermarket. But I’d prefer a Dido record before this. In normal people words, this bored me to fucking tears.

Die Achterbahnfahrt geht weiter. Nach einem absoluten Klassiker (The WHO) folgt ein Album, welches sich nach interessant klingendem Start zunehmend als Langweiler entpuppt. Schade!

Pleasant enough but unremarkable and some of her vocal flourishes are annoying.

don't know why, but I didn't like it...

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

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

Another Grays Anatomy one hitter. Not bad, but boring.

No real amazing songs but very good all around.

Lovely little record for a Thursday

Really enjoyable listening, reminded me of a slightly less rich version of Sarah McLachlan.

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

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

2,5

Not bad. In some ways this reminds me of a Fiona Apple album. A bit long imo

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. (⌐■_■)

Can’t muster much of an opinion on this one. Different time and place I guess.

7/30/24. First time hearing about Beth Orton, very good folk style music blended with some electronica. She has a great voice as well! Will revisit for sure.

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

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

Jewel vibes here. Didn’t change my world but I liked it.

Meh. 90s alt-girl pop.

Orton has a beautiful voice and this album is non-offensive, nostalgic, and heart-stringy. I’m not sure I’ll listen again, only because I’m not a big fan of folk or music with a big lyrical focus. Definite talent though and I don’t hear any reason why this album shouldn’t be on this list.

This was pretty but it’s really not my thing

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!

Chill, but a bit too chill. The tracks sounded very similar and just turned into background noise. Highlights: Stolen Car

Meh….

I went to see Beth Orton on a lark in the early 00s. She was promoting her album Daybreaker at the time and it ended up becoming one of my favorite albums at that time. I wish more people knew about her. Great stuff on this album, including “Stolen Car” and the title track. Two of her best.

Sleepy.

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

OK

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

this album is exactly what i want to sound and look like. Slugged a little bit towards the middle but overall love love love. 1.) Stolen Car 2.) Central Reservation (The Then Again Version) 3.) Stars All Seem To Weep

Mjög þægileg plata. Gamall hljómur í nútímalegum búningi.

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

4.0

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.

The handful of electronic productions have dated badly but this is largely excellent. Lovely surprise!

A lovely folktronica romp.

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

https://image-cdn.essentiallysports.com/wp-content/uploads/twitter_0e20fd2793f617858ae580f542ceada4.jpeg?width=600

It’s alright I guess. Idc.

I really liked the opening track.

Very good

I felt like I was trapped in a starbucks.

Good production and interesting arrangements, not my style

Had a good time listening to this album. It’s solemn, heartfelt, and touching. Love her voice. Kind of reminded me of Animal Crossing music with the vibe. Quieter music. Standouts: Stolen Car, Couldn’t Cause Me Harm, Pass in Time, Central Reservation -Original Version, Stars All Seem to Weep, and Blood Red River.

First time hearing this artist, hadn’t heard of her until this. Good writer, great voice, cool Brit folk music

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.

June 24, 2024 HL: "Sweetest Decline", *Pass in Time*, title track, "Stars All Seem To Weep", "Blood Red River" Two things are true: I haven't really listened to Beth Orton before & I have this on CD because I recognized it from the book Dr. John keeps popping up in this list in unexpected ways (this, Ladies & Gentlemen We Are Floating in Space), and I'm all for it. Also, Ben Harper on guitar?? (saw him live a while back with Charlie Musselwhite; not sure which songs have him in them [edit: "Stolen Car", "Love Like Laughter"]) Guest stars out of the way, I really like Orton's style; it's rootsy, but proceeds in a freewheeling, dreamy way. The songs themselves have a timeless quality about them, even though the downtempo/folktronica elements date the album to the 90s.

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.

It’s probably great if you like this kind of thing?

Album didn't hold my interest very long, good singing just a little boring

i’m just not a fan of ballads that sound the same 😔 but the style was good

Totally new to me. Rather enjoyed it!

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

This is boring

Sounds like a teen movie soundtrack in parts

Not bad - great voice and some good tunes sadly like a lot of this music at the time it was released - a bit pedestrian and middle of the road

Beautiful voice. Boring songs.

Meh, wanna be cranberries? Not really my vibe

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.

Not my cuppa tea, at all

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

Boring

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.

Dull, dull, dull.

Kind of boring until she starts taking about sex. Then it's still boring but my interest was peaked for a minute. This record is a bit of a Lilith Fair stereotype which isn't doing it any favors in the artistic integrity department.

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!

As always, I head into any album longer than 45 minutes with some amount of trepidation, especially on singer-songwriter joints. Beth Orton's beautiful voice and thoughtful writing helped me settle in right away. There are some notes of Britpop in these songs; maybe it's the use of strings, or the way she paces her melodies. Her voice reminds me of some fusion of Joni Mitchell and Alanis Morissette. I want to listen to this album while driving up north; I want to listen to it on a cabin deck looking at a lake; I want to listen to it while dusting my home and feeling some kind of way. It's lovely. Highlights: Stolen Car, Sweetest Decline, Couldn't Cause Me Harm, Pass In Time, Central Reservation (what guitar tones!), Love Like Laughter

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.

Love Beth Orton❣️🤩 9 1/2 out of 10!!!

Maybe I can't appreciate it but I did not find anything special about this album

I liked the music in the background, but I didn't love her singing voice. It's not bad, but it's just not something I would intentionally listen to again.

Some nice folky music. After listening to it a few times none of the songs stood out to me, but I like folky music so it gets a bump.

Very vibey. Favourites: stolen car, couldn't cause me harm, stars all seem to weep, love like laughter. Very sonically coherent and enjoyable to listen to. 4/5

This sounds great. I love many of the songs, has a very comforting sound with some chill beats. Some songs were a little more on the boring and bland side, but I didn't really mind as they served as nice background sound while I agonized over looking for a co-op. I'm not sure whether my music taste is expanding the more I listen to these albums, but I have been more or less been really liking the recent ones. My favourite songs were Stolen Car, Sweetest Decline, Pass in Time, Stars All Seem to Weep, Feel To Believe, and Central Reservation - The Then Again Version. Very nice, high 4

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"

brilliant

Good for a rainy weekend

Achei completamente básico, sem nada que o destaque. Achei chato e não dei conta de ouvir inteiro.

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

Eh. It was fine.

Every other song was fine. Nothing grabbed me. Florence and Alanis do this better

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

Ну, меня наебали с фолктроникой. Очень жёстко наебали. По сути мы получили фолк с электронными барабанами, что еле-еле фолктроникой назовёшь. Причём предыдущий её альбом (Trailer Park) звучит повкуснее, как по мне.

It's a great album. I first became aware of her listening to a radio show called Acoustic Sunrise which was a pre-dawn show of acoustic music on WNRN (probably still happening). And this is a great commercial free radio station to stream BTW. Anyhow, her vocals are an acquired taste that I just so happen to enjoy-- because they are unusual. The title track and the one electronica style song are the real show stoppers and earned her applause. All her albums are great. Worth a deep dive.

Beth Orton’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.

Beth Orton sounds like what happens when you tell Delores O'Roidan of the Cranberries to make an album for Lilith Fair. After some reading, turns out Beth Orton played every iteration of Lilith Fair so that tracks. She sounds like a British Natalie Merchant...right up to Stars All Seem to Weep which definitely could have been plucked from an Everything but the Girl album. Overall, this feels like an album I should have/would have loved had I found it in 1999.

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

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.

fell asleep during this

Beautiful. Peak '90s female singer-songwriter vibes, a product of it's time for sure, and I don't feel like I was ever the target audience for this recording. Still, this album is worth a repeated listen. Simple arrangements, but very pretty and well recorded. I didn't dig into the lyrics too much, but what I heard of them was also lovely. Four stars.

Not really my kind of music

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

decent collection of songs

😴😴😴

Musical equivalent of petting an old cat. Enjoyable, a little redundant and unexciting, although still perfectly fine

If Andersonville had a soundtrack. Boooooooooooring.

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

I had loved the track Stolen Car for a long time but didn't know much else about/by BO. Really liked the rest of it and was surprised it wasn't as 90s northwest American music as I assumed it would be (not sure why I assumed that). This is downright Americana. Dare I say Lyle Lovettish? Certainly more Sheryl Crowe than Suzaane Vega. 3.5 starts rounding up to 4.

Nice in a British way.

Where do I go where do I begin?

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.

I- I -I hated this album, yeah-ehh-ehhh~ 👎🏽

Not bad, but a lot of filler you have to sit through to get to the good songs. I enjoyed a few songs, especially "Pass In Time" and the grunge/folk elements of the production. However, over an hour long album her voice can start to be hard to listen to at times.

Another day another bland album from this list

Yea....slow, boring and annoying. There won't be a 2nd listen. Immediately jumped to next album. Even more slow and boring. Time to move on to some Smoke and Roses. Ready for the damn weekend. 2

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.

What's with all those Mercury prize "nominations"? They're never about "bad" albums, but a lot of them point to releases that quickly go past their peremption dates. You feel like this Mercury club is a sort of lobby of "critics" getting riled up for no good reason for whatever British fad garners praise on any given year. Case in point, this particular record. "Stolen Car" is a great opener for it, with tense and intricate arrangements. But starting with second cut "Sweetest Decline", you feel like Beth Orton is overplaying her hand as a vocalist--if you didn't feel it in that opener already. Besides, if the string section is rather impressive on that second track, the rest of the instrumentation is just bland, innocuous, or simply lacking in clear stakes or gripping harmonic progressions. The third track is even worse, and if the fourth is a little more subtle and moody, you still have Beth's voice going into meandering circles, just like in most of the songs before and after. It's as if she "forces" the inclusion of her stilted, unimaginative melodic lines into the uninteresting templates of those compositions--as if to infuse some life into them at the eleventh hour. Yet what comes out of this forceful inclusion is even more awkwardness. Whether folk or "folktronica", you have the same sort of painful self-conscious posturing in the vocal performance supposedly carrying those tunes. Such type of performance also kinda ruins the old folk shenanigans of a track such as "Pass In Time". Like a woman's version of Van Morrisson's *Astral Weeks*, actually underlining all the ways in which the supposed "soulful" improvisational intents of the original have been overrated for decades. The title-track surely has all the right atmospheric touches. But the one that follows (produced by Everything But The Girl's Ben Watt--a cheesy act for sure) has all the wrong ones. It's more awkward vocals over a backing track devoid of charm and personality--a soundtrack fitting to a Starbuck Coffee salon. I could go on like about all the other tracks, but honestly, why should I bother? You want transcendent performances by a stellar female vocalist who knows her way around a *good* folk-rock composition, and who can give them all the authentic feelings one is looking for in that sort of umbrella genre? Go and listen to Big Thief (or solo albums by her frontperson Adrienne Lenker). Here's the real, heartbreaking deal. Not this self-indulgent drivel. 2/5 for the purposes of this list. Which translates to a 7/10 grade (5+2) following more general purposes. This thing is competently written and recorded at least, even if the vocal performance and artistic intent are awkward. Now can we move on to real "essential" albums? Please? Number of albums left to review: 237 Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 330 Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 195 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 245 (including this one)

Stolen Car is on my playlist, so 4/5. Other songs are mixed

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.

slumber

My initial thought was her vocals sound so similar to a bunch of other lady singer/songwriters, what makes her stand out and worth listening to, but I am trying not to let that distract me from her talent as a singer and songwriter. This is another 3.5 rounding to 4 and while I appreciate the album, I don't think it's something I would choose to listen to more.

Meh. I think she's probably good at what she does, but I don't love what she does. Songs all sound quite similar. Don't love her singing style. I was ready for the album to be over before it actually was. 2.5

It was okay but I'll never revisit this album

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.

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

Not my jam at all. Mostly slow and overlong, but she has a decent voice at points. Coffee house music, pretty meh. Fav tracks: Stolen Car, Central Reservation

First listen Saved 1/12 Top track: Stolen Car

What a refreshing sound! She sounds like no one else that I can compare to. I quite enjoyed it!

I can think of quite a few other albums that should be on this list more than this one. It's not bad - she's clearly talented, and I liked the electronic bits of her songs. But I wanted her to commit to one or the other, since both made the album too forgettable to me.

Otra grata sorpresa. Me recuerda a Natalie Merchant, pero un poco más moderna. Al final me cansa un poco el disco, pero le daré un 4.

4.25

This is like a mediocre Dolores O’Riordan solo album. There are a couple okay songs but most drag in too long and don’t go anywhere. I’d say just replace this with a Cranberries album and call it a day.

Another artist I have heard of yet had never pursued listening to one of their albums. I thought Beth Orton was more electronica than this. This is incredibly pleasant music and I recall seeing this album cover all of the time. This music is not like Norah Jones' music, but if Norah Jones was an actually interesting artist and not merely an effective sleeping tool then this is what she would sound like. Stolen Car and Central Reservation are the standouts for me. Not sure I would visit the album again, but I am glad it was on the list.

Really enjoyed this album. Every song feels melancholy and comforting at the same time. Very relaxing and reflective listen. Top tracks: Stolen Car, Central Reservation, Stars All Seem to Weep

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

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

I would have rated this a 3, but the album is just so damn long for no reason. A lot of the songs in the middle just slush together. Beth Orton's voice is good though, it's just an overall boring album. Highlights: 1, 10, and 11.

Vulnerable but strong.

whatever

Lacks the soulful beauty of folk and the spacey, atmospheric capabilities of electronica. In the end, it sounded more like a bland pop album than either folk or electronica.

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

An album I vaguely remember from the time, but wasn't able to listen to in full (because streaming wasn't a thing!), and I now wish I had! Wears her influences on her sleeve, which is no bad thing, and I can hear echoes of her in some of the singer songwriters that have followed.

Allemaal relaxte singersongwritercountry, het soort muziek dat je zondagochtend opzet bij een bakkie leut. Trekt weinig aandacht, maar mag er wezen.

Het eerste nummer klinkt wel interessant en maakt nieuwsgierig naar de rest. Maar het is me verder toch een saai geheel zeg. Ze kan zingen hoor en het zit goed in elkaar. Het zal de liefhebber vast raken. Maar zelf val ik hierbij in slaap. Een dutje is natuurlijk wel fijner dan Frans Bauer luisteren.

Toen ik de hoes zag, wist ik eigenlijk al voldoende. Vrouwelijke singer-songwriter uit de 90s. Dat betekent zielenroerselen van een twintiger met Dr Martens en een slobbertrui, die op haar slaapkamer teveel naar Joni Mitchell heeft geluisterd. En dat is ook precies wat we voorgeschoteld krijgen. Het is allemaal veel te traag en ze jankt echt als een soort Joni over haar pianootje, gitaar of viool heen. En dan nog een uur lang ook nondeju. Joni had tenminste aan een halfuurtje genoeg. Halverwege komt er nog een halvegare krolse kater meekrijsen. Man man man, haar stem is echt verschrikkelijk. Ik hoop dat we nu de periodieke portie Joni weer hebben gehad en we er nu weer voor even van af zijn. Anders moet ik elke keer weer zo'n rant over haar afsteken, maar dat betekent ook elke keer weer opnieuw dat alle energie aan me onttrokken wordt en ik weer opnieuw moet opladen. Gelukkig weet ik al dat ik straks een plaatje van the Eagles krijg om weer bij te komen.

I had heard Love Like Laughter in a playlist about a little life of all things, and I had already liked that song. Good vibes, good songs, will listen again next time I feel like romanticizing my life or whatever

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

The two leads (Central Reservation/Stolen Car) are five star tracks. The rest of the album is solid, but there are definitely a couple of album tracks. Has a sentimental value for me, too.

I really enjoyed this. I like her arrangements. I’ll listen again.

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

Really enjoyed the opening track, Stolen Car. So much more - brilliant Central Reservation - excellent Not a perfect album, but enough to warrant a very good 4 star

not too good, not too bad

# 182 : MEH! Found myself nodding off during this, even had to skip some dull tracks. Nothing in here does it for me. Rather ordinary.

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.

This album took me so long to review, partly because I really do not enjoy the opening three tracks. You’re not getting a whole lot a variety here and that’s the major criticism, there’s no edge to the music. However Beth’s vocals are haunting and beautiful and the background melodies are equally as well composed even if it can find itself sounding all very similar. Despite this I found myself going back to this over and over again, it’s indescribable. Yes it sounds the same and it’s not got enough edge to it, but it’s just so nice on the ears. I don’t think I’ll ever stop thinking about this album for good or bad. The most confused 4 stars I can give.

Stört nicht weiter …

I would be pretty impressed if my friend recorded this album in their home studio. What am I missing?

This came out of nowhere, really good album!

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!

Quelques moments intéressants mais c'est majoritairement très beige et innofensif. Clairement un autre exemple de biais UK. 4/10

Nice

Probably good for what it is, just not my vibe.

Trying too hard to be second coming if J. Mitchell and Joan Baez

While I was listening to the second track on the album, I came across multiple reviews on this website that mentioned nostalgia. Now, they were probably referring to the nostalgia they felt about when this album first came out, but I still wanted to see if it could evoke that sense in me; someone who only yesterday found out this album existed. So I leaned back as far as I could in my chair, closed my eyes, let me mind wander to earlier times... And it unlocked the rest of the album for me. Now, that doesn't let this escape the fact that this album is still too damn long (CD era bloat!), but, y'know, otherwise...

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.

Strong opening track, this is my kind of music

Nr. 135/1001 Stolen Car 4/5 Sweetest Decline 4/5 Couldn't Cause Me Harm 3/5 So Much More 3/5 Pass In Time 3/5 Central Reservation 4/5 Stars All Seem to Weep 3/5 Love Like Laughter 4/5 Blood Red River 4/5 Devil Song 3/5 Feel to Believe 4/5 Average: 3,55 Really cool British folktronica. Liked here voice and the atmospheric instrumentation.

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

Interesting voice but all the songs merged together into one amorphous blob of boring.

. She is great in concert.

Similar to my experience with a recent album we reviewed (Alannis Morrisette), I bought this when it was released and had an immediate negative reaction. I couldn't listen to it without getting uneasy — something about her vocal delivery was discomforting and I never played it again (despite Marianne being a fan of the album). I groaned when I saw this was included in the 1001 list, and had that same reaction when I saw it was served up today. I'll say, I didn't have an immediate recoil on this listen, I do like the grooves and some of the playing is really good, but by the time "Pass In Time" came on, I was finding her vocals difficult to endure. The harmony with whomever is singing on that made it worse, and I bailed. So, a 2-star might be harsh, but if I can't get past the halfway mark before seeking respite, what's a reviewer to do?

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.

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

eh, it has some moments. Nothing really sticking to me Will I listen to again: 1%

Just really a first rate album. Good from start to finish. There's nothing in it that is a massive hit, but it's just consistently listentoable.

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

Great album. Orton feels like a fragile bird. I mean, her singing brings that to mind. I would like to state for the record that 1. I have never felt Beth Orton in any way, shape or form. 2. My experience of handling fragile birds is limited to picking them up off my deck when they careen into my windows. Perhaps this album should have been called "My my, those tree reflections look tempting, let's rush headlong towards them." Great songwriting; listen if you are feeling melancholy; listen for Andrew Weatherall's masterful production, bringing electronica into folk with seemless fluidity; Ben Harper's awesome guitar solo.

Good, but it really dragged on by the end

Zzz…guess it was ok 3/5

Suzanne Vega meets Van Morrison und langweilen sich.

Schöne Stimme aber ich fand es sooo laaaangweilig.

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

Moaning, droning, coffee shop guitar noises. "Stolen Car" and "Stars All Seem to Weep" are the only standout moments.

Just beautiful.

Just ok.

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

Eh...

meh

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

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

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

Kiltti Alanis Morrisette. Vähän liian kiltti - haluaisin hänen vaativan huomiotani. Musiikki vähäeleistä, oikeastaan mitäänsanomatonta, mutta laulu on oikein kivaa.

Ajan kliseistämää laulelua + tasaisen keskitempoinen ysäribiitti (tai ei). Pettymyksenä jostain syystä erityisen harmittava.

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

A real nostalgia listen - I love Central Reservation

Lovely voice. It feels very contemplative and peaceful.

Sorry. But no. The vocal style is really annoying and distracting to me, maybe there is good songwriting but I can’t tel.

Soporífero

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.

if you like lightheaded music with an interesting voice you may like it - not my music of choice

middle

Great trip hop folktronica. I especially love Beth's voice thru out.

Okay

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

3.1

Again, bored. Maybe I need a break ahahahaha

Interesting mix of folk and electronica. Don't love either genre alone. Together they're not any better.

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:)

Ok album. Easy to listen to. Not highly motivated to hear it again.

Didn’t seen as groundbreaking as people make out

Like Dido, but actually worth listening to

Lovely and chill

Sorry, I just can’t abide her voice

Meh

I’ve always found the tendency to describe any sort of music that happens to feature acoustic instrumentation anywhere as ‘Folk’ pretty disingenuous, ignoring the substance of actual Folk music in favour of a substance level aesthetic description. The example set by this album is particularly egregious. It’s ‘folktronica’ which in this case seems to be typically late 90’s Pop with an occasional acoustic guitar and synthesised bouzouki. The worst tracks for it actually come towards the end, which mostly seem to be a simple guitar part backed by a classical string quartet. If anyone can explain to me what’s folky about a string quartet, I’d quite happily listen, but it seems to me so stereotypically Pop that I cannot understand how anyone could overlook it. My problems with it’s genre classification aside, I’m also not sold on this album as music. The more explicitly 90’s Pop tracks are awful, and the other tracks go on for too long. They’re all nearly or over 5 minutes, and so frequently repeat the trick of reaching the end of the written verses and then ad-libbing on the chorus for a minute or so before fading out that it becomes cliched. I was aware of it as a trend by track two, and it just kept going throughout the record. The only song I thought the trick worked on was, ironically, the longest one, Pass In Time, which at least had another singer for Beth Orton to play off. I’m also not a huge fan of Orton’s voice. She’s got the habit of over-pronouncing vowels and syllables, fake lilting Irish brogue, and fluty breathy timbre that has plagued this sort of ‘serious’ female singing since, well the 90’s. Is this the originator? Did Beth Orton start this trend that I loathe? The saving grace of the album are the lyrics which are, if cliched, at least interesting. But it isn’t enough to make me see past my dislike of the singing or my problems with the production. Put somebody willing to cut songs down in charge, and get her to stop with the affectations, and this’d be passable. As it is, two stars

Until today, I had no idea who Beth Orton is. Her 1999 album 'Central Reservation' seems to me, to be a mixed bag of sentiments. The track 'Sweetest Decline' carries an evocative quality, reminding me of the kind of song Nigella Lawson might choose to underscore one of her Christmas shows when everyone is turning up to the feast at the end. However, the overall tone of the album, marked by its mellow and laid-back vibe, positions it as pure background music. It's the kind of record that, for some, could seamlessly fade into the sonic backdrop of daily life without leaving a lasting impact. Personally, I found the album to be outside my musical preferences, and I must admit that I didn't even complete the entire listening experience. While tastes in music vary, 'Central Reservation' didn't resonate with me, prompting the realisation that not every album is destined to strike a chord with every listener.

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

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

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.

wasn't fully convinced by this album but i liked it enough for four stars. some songs were really nice. i'm sure if i listened to the lyrics more i'd enjoy it more too

i quite enjoyed this, beautiful and gentle singing. 5/5 tracks like the first one and the title track, but just a few that are a bit worse and bring it down to a 4. i will be relistening.

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