Beth Orton's "The Ground Above": A Late-Career Renaissance Review
By
Daniel Bromfield
Summary
A review of Beth Orton's album "The Ground Above," noting that 33 years into her career, she is making some of her best music. The piece highlights her evolution from the '90s "comedown queen" era of rave collabs and beat-heavy folk-pop through a restless period, culminating in her 2022 album Weather Alive where she found her true sound with expansive live arrangements and session players. The review draws comparisons to David Bowie's Blackstar and Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow as examples of artists in middle age reconnecting with their musicianship.
Source
Twitter / XBeth Orton's "The Ground Above": A Late-Career Renaissance Reviewpitchfork.comKey quotes
· 3 pulledThe one-time UK 'comedown queen' followed her run of big-name rave collabs and beat-heavy folk-pop records in the '90s and early '00s with a restless decade or so
It was on 2022's Weather Alive that she really figured out how she should sound: expansive live arrangements instead of beats, crack session players instead of big-name producers.
The precedent was David Bowie's Blackstar and Kate Bush's 50 Words for Snow—artists in high-priest middle age getting back in touch with their musicianship
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