The cover of British singer-songwriter Beth Orton's Comfort of Strangers is rather boring -- shades of brown in a bland impressionistic landscape. In the middle of the scene, however, a rainbow reaches towards the sky. Perhaps this is a fitting metaphor for the nature of her music, which is both low-key and beautiful.
Orton's sound in her fourth and latest release is certainly understated but miles away from boring. Instead, it makes the listener focus on her distinctive voice, beautiful lyrics and songwriting talent. Orton shifts from the electronic-tinged sound of her earlier albums, aiming for a more stripped-down and organic feel with the help of producer Jim O'Rourke, member of Sonic Youth and producer of Wilco. While the typical musical base of piano, guitar and drums are evident, instruments such as violin, cello, harmonica and even accordion are sprinkled throughout to create accents and lush textures.
Orton's voice is one of her strongest assets -- at times heartbreakingly fragile and at other times surprisingly assertive. This contrast is well-illustrated by "Heart of Soul," which starts quietly and rises sharply in the chorus, demanding the subject to "c'mon put a little love in your heart." While this is not the best chorus, the surrounding verses and overall sound make up for its unoriginal lyrics.
Orton's lyrics explore love, life, and acceptance. In the chorus of the beautiful title track, Orton placidly sings, "One love is better than not enough / I'd rather have no love / than messing with the wrong stuff / it's just the comfort of strangers / always the comfort of strangers."
"A Place Aside" memorializes a past love, while "Shadow of a Doubt" reflects on an unattainable one. For a good contrast, there's the angrier opening track, "Worms," which resembles Fiona Apple's music with its bitter lyrics and dynamic piano-based melody.
The upbeat, percussion-driven track "Shopping Trolley" has both beautiful imagery ("Words are but dust of stars / when they collide / I get lost in the sparks / explode into the dark / and move like light on the sea") and an optimistic outlook on life, recognizing how past unfortunate events seem much better in perspective.
Another catchy standout is the poppy "Conceived," with its message accepting life's events -- "Some of the time the future / comes right round to haunt me / some of the time the future comes round just to see / that all is as it should be." Violin, cello and two-part harmony contribute to the triumphant rise at the end of the song.
All in all, Beth Orton has delivered a wholly satisfying album for fans of acoustic folk-rock and just plain good songwriting. Try and put the CD on for a spin -- at the very least, the sound will relax you; atbest, you can fully appreciate the subtly layered portraits she creates by deftly weaving together all the necessary elements of good music.
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