Customer Reviews

Daybreaker

5 star:		(29)
4 star:		(23)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

I usually come to a review wanting it to answer one simple question for me: should I buy this CD or not? The trouble is, while the question is simple, the answer is not. Let's try to deconstruct the reasons why you might consider buying this album:
1: Beth Orton fan with both her previous albums? Buy it. If you're looking for the lyrical splendour of 'Blood Red River' or 'Devil Song' from the Central Reservation album, you may be disappointed: this collection doen't have Beth reaching deep into your soul and tugging it inside out in that way. But, having not played it for several days, I awoke this morning to find 'anywhere' buzzing around in my head and demanding to be played.
2: Ryan Adams fan, looking for a Ryan fix before his next album (I thought he was going to release four this year - what happened to that?). Hesitate. He backs Beth on a couple of songs, (and sounds eerily like a young Elton John in places on Concrete Sky), and wrote one of the songs in the collection exclusively for her (this one's gonna bruise). But it doesn't sound like a Ryan Adams song as delivered by Beth. God Song comes closest to any alt Country heritage, but that's more Emmylou Harris influenced than Ryan influenced.
3: Chemical Bros fan/Everything but the Girl Fan, wanting more of that oeuvre? Depends. If you've heard Beth's voice on CB recordings and love it, go ahead. But you won't find a lot of their brand of music here - she's got a very distinctive place, and it's far away from theirs.
4: Simply curious about an artist you don't know who has a top-selling album out. Buy it. Then go out and buy Central Reservation and Trailer Park. But only if you like great melodies, beautiful lyrics, and a heart-rending voice. Otherwise leave it alone.
Some have commented on the version of Carmella on the album, and pointed out that it's not as good as the version on the EP. I tend to agree - I can't decide if that's because I heard the four tet remix first or not. Which brings me to the final point. Beth seems to by trying to shake off her 'downbeat' image - especially in concert. She's definitely blasting out the songs on this album on tour at the moment - and doing some rock chick posturing on stage. Which might put her in the no-man's land between true rock chick, and lyrical songstress in which people tend to get ignored or torn apart. I'd vote she stays with the songstress.

Wonderful Beth is something of an enigma. On first listen, her collections always sound bland. Nice, sweet, haunting, even--but bland. But somehow, the listener always wants to hear the CD "just one more time."And one more time after that. And each time, the subtle poetry of Beth Orton, her unique voice, her use of music as a key to unlocking her (and our) most private thought just grows and grows.

A friend of mine bought this CD the first day it was available (as did I). We both thought it was nice, but ordinary. Yesterday we discussed it again. I admitted I can't stop listening, and that I find something new every time I do. My friend agreed entirely, and gave what has to be the most understated compliment of all: "This one's a grower."

And so it is. Give it a listen and be enchanted.

I had never heard anything by British singer/songwriter Beth Orton before this CD. My introduction to Beth was on the inflight entertainment of a British Airways flight where 3 cuts off this CD were featured; `Concrete sky', `Paris train' and the title track `Daybreaker'. Those were enough to convince me to get the CD.

Melancholic and atmospheric soft acoustic folk/rock with a dash of electronica best describes this beautiful CD, a #40 hit on the billboard album charts. Like a number of reviewers have mentioned, repeated play reveals more subtleties of this stark serene beauty.

`Paris train' is a lilting ballad with gently jangling guitars and forlorn strings. In a similar vein is `Mount Washington'. `Concrete sky' is more upbeat (but still delicate) with Ryan Adams harmonizing on the chorus.

One of my favourites is the horn drenched delicate `Anywhere' with a faint jazzy/Caribbean atmosphere and swirling strings. Jaw-droppingly beautiful!! The upbeat `Daybreaker' filled with pulsing and haunting jerky synthesizer effects, and hollow beats is another highlight. A trip hop delight!

`Ted's waltz' is a delicate ballad with faint shuffling percussion, shimmery guitars, and a wistful vocal performance from Beth.

Introspective, serene and beautiful. I'll be looking out for more of her music.

DAYBREAKER is one of those releases that underwhelms upon first listen and if you are not patient gets filed under pleasant at best. I've persisted and now consider this to be my favorite Orton album. The songwriting and emotions are so subtle that it takes several listens to have the songs sink their hooks into your psyche, then once that happens your hooked. Other reviwers have noticed this and I certainly concur.

My favorite tracks include THIS ONE'S GONNA BRUISE, THINKING ABOUT TOMMOROW and PARIS TRAIN. The songs on this record at first seem to be similar then begin to show their unique personalities and stand out from one another. To my ears there are no weak tracks included.

A neophyte to Orton's work would be best recommended to start with PASS IN TIME, her excellent compilation and then proceed to her three proper albums and the great BEST BITS EP (the remix one leaves me a fad appathetic). Beth Orton is an excellent singer-songwriter who weaves modern touches into more traditional folk styled songs to create some essential listening.

I can't stop listening to this gal. This is the first of her works that I get to listen, and I am in love with her music. As she, herself, mentioned in an interview, she sorta falls in a category which could be labeled as soul folk. To me she brings back memories of Suzanne Vega with the type of melancholy that characterized Duncan Sheik's music. But also (song 8) she sounds so much like Eddie Brickell...

So far, my favorite tracks by far are: "Paris Train" and the last three tracks. Check her out. It's very hard for anyone not to like her music.

I have been a fan of Beth's since her first cd 6 or so yrs ago. "Daybreaker" is such a beautiful, lush daydream of a cd. The first song "Paris Train" is a stunning number that wraps you in it's warm orchestrations. Of course there is her first single, "Concrete Sky", with Ryan Adams which hopefully will help draw attention to this 'underground' talent who is Beth Orton. Every song here is a good or great one. I especially like the title track which I feel represents what she does best- techno beats to haunting vocals. I know the year is barely half over, but so far this is easily the best album I've heard. I cannot recommend it highly enough. I saw her show in Columbus, OH last nite, and the new music is even stronger live. She even does a new remix of one of her new songs, "Anywhere", giving it a thumping rave beat. Enjoy.

After buying Central Reservations, I was captivated by Beth's vocal style which ranges from sweet, to sexy to innocent. I really enjoyed Daybreaker especially since, compared to CR, it is a bit more upbeat. Mount Washington, Anywhere and Thinking about Tomorrow are the standout tracks for me. They adhere thoroughly to the album's title "Daybreaker" and convey that feeling you get when you start out on a bright, warm sunny day.

An excellent road trip album!

However, do not be fooled into buying the remix album. The unreleased tracks are mediocre at best and the remixes sound like the efforts of teenagers with Acid Loops. Someone thought to try to capitalize on the success of Daybreaker, but the remix album may have been a bit too ambitious and slightly disappointing, especially to those who are endeared to the original Daybreaker release.

Listening to this again to write the review, somehow I missed the aching beauty of "Paris Train" my first run through with this album. On my second spin-through tonight, I'm beginning to think I was too harsh with Daybreaker when it was originally released. It doesn't have the haunting aesthetics of Trailer Park, the utter gorgeousness of Central Reservation, or even the bounce of the Best Bit ep. Of course tracks like "Concrete Sky" and "Anywhere" stood out with their upbeat melodies, the latter even reverting to trumpets for a bit of a calypso feel. And the downtempo "This One's Gonna Bruise" says enough in the title alone that a description would only be detracting rather than adding to the song. The jaunty "Carmella" harkens back to "Someone's Daughter" and "Live As You Dream" from Trailer Park, while "Thinking About Tomorrow" wouldn't have been out of place on Central Reservation. Initially, much of the album seemed faded out like the cover photo, but tonight I realized I was listening too much to her voice for the emotion rather than allowing the background orchestration, the cellos & violins, to hold that same emotional weight. Whenever you talk about Beth Orton, first and foremost is always going to be her voice, weary from sleep like it was freshly awoken by the morning light, the day breaking light. Long-time Beth fans will also note that she is continuing to move further away from her electronic beginnings as the primary vocalist for the Chemical Brothers and more towards this haunting folk-music you'd expect to hear on the North England shores. Daybreaker is an album that needs to grow on you like having your misty morning eyes, still full of sleep, opened by the rising sun only to look out your window and see a landscape of life.

I wouldn't exactly call myself a major fan of Beth Orton but she always has put out some great music. I just happen to listen to music that is a bit more extreme on other end of the musical spectrum. I own all three of her albums ("Trailer Park", "Central Reservation", and "Daybreaker"). Her music is a nice combination of jazz, trip hop, folk, rock, and pop music. I absolutely loved Beth's previous album "Central Reservation". On that album, the listener could definitely hear more trip hop influence in her music. I think on this album there is a folkier sound on this album. On "Daybreaker", the trip hop influences is still there but not so much in the forefront. I can definitely hear the trip hop influences on the title track, one of my favorite songs on the album. I have always loved Beth's thick english accent which I think adds a unique sound to her music. Being a subscriber to CMJ New Music Monthly, I have already heard a couple of songs on their past compilation cds. Hearing "Concrete Sky" on the radio a few times also made me want to get Beth's new album. I loved the opening acoustic notes on "Camelia". Ryan Adams does a wonderful job on the slide and acoustic guitars he played on this particular song. A stunning song to say the very least. Another one of my favorite songs off "Daybreaker". After listening to "Daybreaker", I most certainly will have to keep an eye on her throughout her career in music. "Daybreaker" is simply another wonderful album from Beth.

Why do I like Beth Orton? This is the imponderable question I still face after the third week of Daybreaker's undisputed reign on my CD player. Comparisons with Joni Mitchell don't hold up, because (a) Mitchell can actually sing and (b) her songs work whether they're done a cappella or with just a guitar or being mangled by Judy Collins and an orchestra. Orton's songs could only possibly be performed by herself, with her arrangements (and those of her electronica collaborators), and quite frankly, she has a voice like Björk with laryngitis and a hangover. And yet...this album is utterly compelling, and gets more so with repeated listening. Her impressionistic lyrics have the same sneak-up-from-behind impact as those of early Suzanne Vega, and her arrangements are as magpie-like in their eclecticism as Beck's but more restrained, perhaps a little more grown-up (not that any of us wants Beck to grow up any time soon). Whatever the reason, these songs are far more than the sum of their parts. So, I give in, both to Armstrong's indisputable dictum and to Orton's inscrutable talent. I'm in the process of buying all her back catalogue. Resistance, apparently, is futile.