Central Reservation

by

Beth Orton

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Amazing. The first time I heard this album, it was like a cliche you might see in a movie. An incredibly long, lonely drive down a deserted two lane highway from Albuquerque, NM to Durango, CO. Moonless night, clear sky, hundreds of miles from any major light source, I was listening to this album, looking at the night sky. This album sunk its teeth in, a haunting, bittersweet group of songs perfect for reflection, comptemplation. This album succeedes on so many different levels to become, in this humble reviewer's opinion, an instant, timeless classic.

Listen to the emotional/thematic changes between 'Stolen Car' and 'Sweetest Decline'. The stunning, shimmering, phenomenal 'Pass in Time'. The duo between her and Terry Callier has made it into the ist of my favorite songs - people hear this one and ask me 'Who IS this? WHAT album is this?' Any album that elicits such an emotional, immediate response from so many different people MUST be doing something right.

Buy this album, you will NOT be disappointed.

I bought this Cd after hearing so much about Beth Orton. Her name had become a tiny lightbulb, that seemed to appear everywhere i looked. If it came up in conversation here, I would read her name in a magazine there, until i saw her perform on Conan O'brien and decided i would buy it for a listen.

My first impression was that of her voice. She has a beautiful voice, and it sounds wonderful. However, I found the songs on the album very plain, very boring, without much differentiation from one song to the next. The songs almost play like a dirge, from one to another, and there isn't much room for an uptempo here or a down tempo there.

Now before you slay me with this review. I do recognize her talent, and this cd will appeal to those who enjoy folk singing, and mild blues. But if you are looking for a deliverance from a great CD, this won't be it. I don't know what else to say, but i found it really boring, it was like chewing on cardboard, it takes interesting when you first try it, but it gets stale quickly.

I also noticed that Ben Harper was a guest musician on this, which disappointed me as well. While i appreciate Ben harper's talent, i find him boring as well, and it upsets me because i think he is capable of something much better, and to my mind sells himself short. The same can be said for Beth Orton, whose voice is beautiful, but it is wasted on the plainness of these songs.

I haven't given up on her. I've heard Trailer Park is a great Cd. So i plan on examining it first thoroughly, before buying it. And will keep my fingers crossed that its more exciting. Cheers.

P.S. I found this CD sounded a lot like Heather Nova, a sort of dreamy, dirge...for what its worth