British singer/songwriter Beth Orton’s earliest work was getting a lot of airplay when I first started paying attention to public radio music in the ’90s. Her early hit She Cries Your Name, was featured often on World Café and Open Air. I refer to it as my “gateway song” for the left end of the dial.
Fast forward 30 years, and Beth Orton just released her eighth album The Ground Above. Never an artist to adhere to any particular genre, her records range from her folktronica style of the ‘90s to straight folk albums like Sugaring Season, and the pop-electronica of Kidsticks. In 2022, she began fully producing her own music with The Weather Alive, using on an old upright piano to compose while her kids were in school. On The Ground Above, she’s producing again, and still playing that upright piano.
Like much of Orton’s work, the new release tends toward the melancholy with themes of self-reflection. These songs unfold almost like meditations. It’s like you’re with her, exploring her inner-thoughts as they take shape over the slow-developing instrumental soundtracks. There are no big hooks, no repetitive riffs, no driving beats. Her secret weapon is her ability to create soundscapes (usually on the darker side) that take the patient listener on an immersive journey. I sometimes refer to the style as “wait for it” music.
The Ground Above begins with the title track weighing in at over eight minutes. Longer songs tend to remind me that they’re long by either getting too obscure or repetitive. Orton has a gift for arranging that keeps me engaged. The Ground Above, as it plays out, adds different instruments and textures, growing from a sparse beginning to a full band with horns and subtle, but effective, electronics with shifting dynamics throughout. The rest of the album follows suit.
Beth Orton with the new track Cigarette Curls.
One of her early hits - Stolen Car, featuring Ben Harper on guitar
A live version of She Cries Your Name
On the radio, we’ll be spinning individual tracks, but The Ground Above in its entirety is the perfect soundtrack for a slow morning, or a lazy afternoon around the house. We’ll be exploring it throughout the Summer on Open Air – weekdays 9am-3pm on the Rhythm and News Service of JPR.
