Singer-songwriter Beth Orton has reached a pinnacle in her career. The release of her fourth album Comfort of Strangers marks her 10th year as a solo artist. Over these past 10 years, Orton has made a name for herself in many parts of the world, especially the U.K., where she was born, and the United States, where she was part of the Lilith Fair tour.
Comfort of Strangers showcases her talent in all of these media, as well as her song-writing abilities. All 14 of the songs on the CD have been written or co-written by Orton. She has a very distinctive style, which is not similar enough to be compared to any other artist. Having been exposed to such a wide array of music, Orton has formed her own style, which lends itself to the genre of folk, but also has an alternative edge to it.
As many know, different albums showcase different periods in an artist's life as well as their influences and the new skills they acquire. Beth Orton has always striven in her songwriting to bring herself into it as much as possible. Comfort of Strangers is no exception. The title track is a good example of the feeling of honesty that can be found in her music.
Orton's main inspiration for her music and lyrics comes from her own life. That being said, her songs incite and express a multitude of emotions. While some songs appear sad, others are more playful and romantic. However, no matter how personal it gets, her music tends to land on the mellow side with the majority of the songs at a slow and easy pace. There are occasions when she deviates from this and one of these instances is in "Shopping Trolley" with the song's strong drum beat a welcome change of pace from the disc's more mellow sounds.
Orton's beautiful voice is revealed in all of her songs. Her song "Feral Children" is an example of that; its title shows a very serious topic, the lyrics give the song a sense of hope despite the gloomy topic.
Because of the style and tempo of some of her music, it may not appeal to all listeners, but that is usually the case with most musicians. Beth Orton believes in making her music personal, not for the approval of anyone else. Before making Comfort of Strangers, Orton decided to give her album a live feel, which meant sparse arrangements, allowing for spontaneity. The album was produced very quickly, with minimal retakes and overdubs. The simplicity of the instrumentation and lyrics does create a live feel to the CD — all that's missing is the clapping of the audience.
This is an album that may need to be listened to more than once to be fully appreciated. However, those who enjoy a folk-like and very smooth sound will find Beth Orton's Comfort of Strangers an agreeable listen.
3 out of 5
