 |  | Fans can never be objective... |  |
From the OBJECTIVE reviewer...Beth has a unique voice...kudos...and this album highlights perfectly her folk sensibility with the touch of electronic influence she probably picked up from William Orbit.
April 25, 2006After seeing Beth Orton live at Field Day I was impressed by her accoustic solo music, as well as her lively personality. I was so excited to buy this cd based on what I had heard, but was dissapointed when I received it. Very little of the folkish guitar work that I had fell in love with was audible on the CD, and Orton over-layers her work with poppy base and drums. At some points on this CD she reminds me of radiohead (faintly) or Beck (especially on "tangent"), and at times delivers the folk feel that I found so appealing, but for the most part comes off as poppy and frankly, boring. Though this CD is certainly worth buying for tracks 1-3 and 10 and 11, it lacks replay value.
Perhaps I am being overly critical because I had such high expectations for Beth. I would reccomend buying this CD, however, see her live. She is a great musician and a charming personality. July 18, 2003
 | | Things must get mighty dull in that chill-out room | |
This album always gets hyped as folk meets trip hop, which superficially sounds like an interesting meld. The truth of it is, however, that the "hop" never comes, and all you're left with is a long, slow trip into tired folk. Beth's vocals, during the very few seconds she manages to perk up, have a similarity to Carol King. Some might view that as a recommendation. The unobtrusive atmospherics make this pleasant-enough as background noise for when you're doing something like reading, but if you're doing something more active (like, say, washing the dishes) you might want a less somnambulant soundtrack.
March 28, 2003 | | What they say about you, it's true...you know it, too | |
A lot of bizarre labels have been attached to the music of Beth Orton: Folk and rock, to be sure, but also trip hop, beat hop, treat beat, beat bop, seat crop, and lounge. It doesn't matter that i made up half of those words just now, and it doesn't matter that you even try to put Beth Orton into some tidy little pigeon hole, because her music is impossible to nail down. What is Beth Orton's music? It's beautiful, soulful, witty, heartbreaking, and damned near perfect. She's not the next anyone. She's the first Beth Orton.
December 3, 2002Started with Daybreaker and worked my way backward through Central Reservation and just received Trailer Park. All three are excellent.
All three are different and unique in their own way. I think that Beth's voice is clearer and less edgy on Trailer Park than her later work which is a very pleasant surprise as the lyrics - which are excellent - can be understood. In some ways this CD reminds me more of Daybreaker than CR as both span alot of musical territory from straight acoustic guitar to orchestral movements.
There are few artists that I can honestly say that I take great pleasure in all of their CD's, Beth is one. Yeah I know I haven't mentioned "Best Bits" which I have also received but have not really listened to - but this is a remarkable string of CD's.
There are those who simply do not like Beth's voice and those who don't want to spend the energy to listen to music that is better with active brain activity. That means that you really have to listen to the music to really get what Beth is doing - it really is not suited to backround music. If you don't fall into either category you will more than likely fall in love with Beth like I have. November 1, 2002
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