[Review:CD] Daybreaker by Beth Orton

[Hanohtep]

Daybreaker Beth Orton

I fell in love with the music of Beth Orton the first time I heard She Cries Your Name off of her debut album Trailer Park. It wasn't long after that, that I went out and bought Central Reservation. Whilst I'd enjoyed Trailer Park I loved Central Reservation. Now with the release of her third album Daybreaker my appreciation of Beth Orton continues to grow.

Opening track Paris Train is superb and continues along the acoustic, trippy style that Beth has used so well in the past. The swooping strings and brass section are employed to brilliant effect as backing instruments. It has always been difficult to pinpoint exactly what style of music Beth Orton plays, whilst at first she seems like a traditional singer/songwriter she has worked with the likes of William Orbit and The Chemical Brothers, and this shows in a lot of her work. Whilst the opener shows this style to full effect, the second track Concrete Sky shows the other side of Beth's work - the more traditional songwriting approach that she also excels at.

I've found that Beth Orton's music works incredibly as chillout music and the new album continues this trend. Tracks like Mount Washington, Paris Train, Ted's Waltz, and the Chemical Brother's produced Daybreaker are all classic Beth Orton chillout tracks. The only major problem I have with this album is that none of the tracks immediately stand out the way that tracks such as She Cries Your Name or Stolen Car did on the previous albums. However, it is a well-written, beautiful album. At the moment I would still say that Central Reservation is her best album but I'll give Daybreaker a decent shot at it - you never know.