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Track Listings
| 1. Worms |
| 2. Countenance |
| 3. Heartland Truckstop |
| 4. Rectify |
| 5. Comfort Of Strangers |
| 6. Shadow Of A Doubt |
| 7. Conceived |
| 8. Absinthe |
| 9. A Place Aside |
| 10. Safe In Your Arms |
| 11. Shopping Trolley |
| 12. Feral Children |
| 13. Heart Of Soul |
| 14. Pieces Of Sky |
Product Description
Review
Beth Orton has collaborated with Jim O'Rourke to produce this, her fourth album - and a very grown-up affair it is too. Those who found the lo-fi Daybreaker a bit dreary can take heart because Comfort Of Strangers has a brighter slant altogether. Bleakness is shunned in favour of full-bodied warmth; with harmonies, harmonicas and blissed-out strings throughout.
Opening track "Worms" is sweetly upbeat despite love-burnt lyrics -very Aidan Smith. "Shopping Trolley" is a beaut, with joyous crashing drums and pianos supporting Orton's fragile hoots. "Heart Of Soul" is another winner, strident and romantic. "Feral Children" floats along magically though Orton's quavery holler can grate after a while.
All in all a very rounded release and a bit of a grower. --Zoe Street
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Product Description
BETH ORTON Comfort Of Strangers (2006 UK 14-track CD album - Beths 4th studio album was recorded in 2 weeks during Spring 2005 and was produced by the much-acclaimed musician and composer Jim ORourke [Sonic Youth] and finds Beth playing guitar piano and harmonica. Includes the singles Conceived and Shopping Trolley)
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Pop music has been blessed by numerous female folk minstrels of immense talent: Joan Baez, Janis Ian, Eva Cassidy, Sandy Denny… and of course, Beth Orton, one of the best female singer-songwriters to have emerged from Britain in the last twenty years.
It has been a long time coming- four years since Daybreaker- but on the evidence of Comfort of Strangers, it would appear that the time has been well spent.
The trip-hop, Massive Attack-esque influences first exhibited on 1996’s Trailer Park are less in evidence here, with her moving towards a straight folk direction. However, songs such as “Worms”, “Comfort of Strangers”, “Conceived” and “Heartland Truckstop” are beautiful in their purity, with her trademark downbeat, world-weary vocals very much in good health and her lyrics as intelligent and introspective as ever. It just feels authentic, as if she is singing from the depths of her soul.
In all, Comfort of Strangers is of a calibre that few will be able to match, with her intimate, stark simplicity demonstrating perfectly that substance will always triumph over style. Although the folk/indie/electronica fusion has been replaced by rootsy folk, this is as good as Trailer Park and 1999’s Central Reservation. Definitely worth buying.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Quite simply, this is the best record Beth Orton has made in a long, long time. It seems Beth has given herself a wake-up call - she is working with new musicians, has learned to play the piano and even plugs in an electric guitar on this set. The songs are strong, particularly the title track where her voice soars. Other standouts include Countenance, Conceived, Shopping Trolley and Feral. Jim O'Rourke's pared down production lets the songs breathe and really works. I haven't enjoyed a Beth Orton album so much since Trailer Park.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
Well, thank god that she has gone bad to her folksy roots - this mature blending of melancholy lyrics and haunting musical arrangement is a delight to listen to. After recently seeing her live, where she did 3 encores asking the audience what they'd like to hear, this album reconfirmed to me that she is a truly unique singer and poet. This is an album thankfully unlike her last, experimentally up-beat, album 'Daybreaker' and more like her heart-stirring, original efforts of 'Trailer Park' and 'Central Reservation.
It is a truly beautiful album, sung so beautifully it will make you cry over and over again. Beth Orton really has a voice that would make angels jealous. Buy it, I implore you.
Or, at least, listen to 'I wish I never saw the sunshine' from Trailer Park; I challenge you to not be moved.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
The Queen of Miserablism shines
Unfairly known as the `comedown queen', Beth Orton has been mining a particular furrow of the frail chauntese for a decade now. Read more
Published on 29 Jun 2007 by Mr. M. A. Reed
Still enchanted
There are some albums that I love. I bought these albums and listened to them intensely for a couple of weeks. After that I still enjoyed them but my enthusiasm wained. Read more
Published on 23 Jan 2007 by Daisy
Bland
I love Beth Orton and her unique melchonic, fragile voice but this album has left me cold I'm afraid to say. I find it bland, soporofic and obscures her vocal talents. Read more
Published on 13 Sep 2006 by Young Bob
EMI spyware
Bought this CD from Amazon not realising it came with EMI's copy protection system, which means I can't play it on my PC without installing the EMI software which comes on the... Read more
Published on 8 Sep 2006 by G. Maldonado
What They Said
It's hard to find praise for this album that hasn't already been left by its other reviewers.
For me it took a few listens to really get into it, but Beth Orton seems to... Read more
For me it took a few listens to really get into it, but Beth Orton seems to... Read more
Published on 2 Sep 2006 by Wily Manc
A fine collection that gets better with each listen
An earthy voice, catchy musical arrangements and original, often amusing lyrics (the opening line of the album is 'Worms don't dance, they haven't got the balls'). Read more
Published on 8 May 2006 by Phil Robertshaw
Inspiring and Chilled Out Tunes!!
Beth Orton, a 70s child from Norfolk, captures the essence of folk-music that runs through the whole of this album successfully. Read more
Published on 1 May 2006 by D. L. Cattanach
A beautiful collection
A stripped down acoustic set from Beth this time out.
I love Heartlandtruckstop and Coceived. Other highlights for me are Countenance, Absinthe and Pieces of Sky. Read more
I love Heartlandtruckstop and Coceived. Other highlights for me are Countenance, Absinthe and Pieces of Sky. Read more
Published on 28 April 2006 by R. Maddison
Maybe just a little too smooth, but worth 5 Stars!
A beautiful collection of songs that should appeal to all. The special Edition CD has a few interesting songs that are a little rougher, and show how the album could have been just... Read more
Published on 11 April 2006 by Ironbath
A move back to Trailer Park
An excellent return to form for Beth Orton.
I liked parts of Daybreaker but really got into Orton through Trailer park and this very much has the feel of her debut about... Read more
I liked parts of Daybreaker but really got into Orton through Trailer park and this very much has the feel of her debut about... Read more
Published on 28 Mar 2006 by "cjatt"
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