Comfort of Strangers by Beth Orton
Worth Your Effort And Replays!
Few vocalists equal the expressive subtlety of Beth Orton, whose fourth
album is both her most musically spare and artistically complex to date.
Not only does the production and backing by Jim ORourke (known for his
work with Sonic Youth and Wilco) capture Ortons vocal style at its most
unstudied and unvarnished, the lack of embellishment focuses all the more
attention on her songwriting. From the jazzy phrasing on the deceptively
jaunty Worms through the haunting Feral and the amazing grace of the
closing, hymnlike Pieces of Sky, Ortons songs give voice to the sort of
knotty, prickly emotions that are as hard to define as they are deeply felt.
Most of the musical dynamic features piano or guitar over an elemental,
insistent rhythm section, making the coloring of an occasional string
section (Conceived), harmonica (Absinthe), or accordion (Safe in Your
Arms) all the more striking. As an indication of the emotional range of this
musical minimalism, the title cut is soothing enough to please fans of
Norah Jones, while Heartlandstruckstop is as edgy as Patti Smith. --Don
McLeese

Personal Review: Comfort of Strangers by Beth Orton
It took me putting the album on a shelf (figuratively) for quite some time
until I had the urge to return to it and allow it to slowly envelope me. It has
not only become my favorite Beth Orton album, but one of my favorite
albums, period.
The musical and artistic change did confuse me at first, as it did most
people - it just seemed so drastic. When I was formulating an amazon
review in my head years ago, I had a much lesser opinion that drew from
the nature-y and very green artwork and lyric content. Listening to the
album then, for me, felt like I was being buried in soil in the afternoon -
warm, but also claustrophobic.
Now I no longer view the album like that, but more as a celebration of life,
even with its faults. This is best represented in moments like the drum-
shuffling title cut, the bright and groovy "Conceived", the rollicking
"Shopping Trolley" and "Heart Of Soul", which must be a blast to clap and
sing-along to in concert. She is also lyrically playful and witty as in
"Heartland Truckstop" where she sings, "We're all bridge builder's
daughters, with incestuous dreams, confidentially speaking all is at it
seems." Another example is in the first words that open up the album
when she sings, "Worms don't dance, they haven't got the balls." Her
backing band is tightly behind her every move, as on the intense "Shadow
of a Doubt" and the slow-builder "Safe In Your Arms"; the latter may very
well be the best track of the album and gives me goosebumps every time it
begins. Beth also enraptures her listeners with the stark acoustic numbers
"Absinthe", "A Place Aside" and "Feral" which are startling in their naked
honesty. All of the tracks rank among her best songs and I never seem to
tire of hearing them over and over. This probably comes unexpectedly
from their short length, as well as the album's short playing time over all;
just more proof that less can be more to make a very lean product.
The one valid quibble people have about the album is that on CD is that,
although very dynamic in audio range, it is somewhat muffled and quiet. It
has taken me some time to get past this, as I recognize it was obviously
mixed to be this way. I also will admit that, although I am very anti-LP, it
does seem to sound the best in that medium, as if that was intentional as
well.
The album is an absolute breath of fresh air for Beth's catalog and the
exact kind of switch she needed after the very stagnant DAYBREAKER.
Anyone who truly enjoys an artist needs to respect and expect their growth
as singer-songwriters, because where's the fun in hearing the same old
thing again and again?
I commend you, Beth, and eagerly await your next release; I hope you
continue down the same path and explore any musical ground you feel like
trudging through.

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