Beth Orton - Weather Alive

****

Beth Orton is back and at her brillaint best 

Beth Orton's first album ‘Trailer Park’ was released all the way back in 1996, she initially got quite a name for herself working across genres with collaborations with diverse acts including the Chemical Brothers. She is now back with her eight-studio album ‘Weather Alive’. It opens with the title track that very much has her signature sound for those familiar with her previous work, haunting powerful vocals, and many layered instruments back it up. It certainly piques interest in the album from the start.

I’ve been a fan for a long time and this album really adds to the amazing canon of work that she has produced over the last nearly 30 years. ‘Friday Night’ is another ballad in the vein of the opening track, but things are mixed up a bit more on ‘Fractals’ which has a bit more of a funky sound to it again with the multi-layered instruments that I mentioned on the first track although it is her powerful and unique that holds it all together throughout the whole album.

‘Haunted Satellite’ takes us in a new direction again, being more of an instrumental number than the rest, but still showing off her impressive song and tune writing skills. This is the first album she has produced herself and all recorded at her own home studio, it is quite telling in that it does all of the signature sounds from her previous albums that she has brought back for this record. It certainly has a unique set of songs, but firmly based in the Beth Orton sound.

‘Arms Around a Melody’ has a darker, more brooding tone than the album up to that point again showing another string to her bow. The album end with ‘Unwritten’ an over seven minute track that builds to a two-minute instrumental ending that finished the album is a satisfying way, It does feel like more of an album, as in a piece to be listened to together as opposed to what a lot of bands do since streaming and just package ten or so song together. I’d say this would be very much liked by her core fan base but would also be good for first time Beth Orton listeners as a good way to discover her.  

Check Out! the Video for title track 'Weather Alive' Below...