TRAILER PARK, the debut album by British songstress Beth Orton, is a swirling voyage that soars beyond the sonic limitations that are the Achilles heel of singer/songwriters. Recorded with producer Victor Van Vugt (Nick Cave, Tindersticks), TRAILER PARK's lush, sinewy string arrangements, imaginative sound effects, and tasteful accompaniment contribute a complexity that lifts, rather than smothers, the stark, up-front vocals and breezy, melodic guitar playing. Somehow, the busier things get, the more room she seems to have.
Orton's lyrics are just introspective and plaintive enough--she neither pleads nor lectures. Overall her message is wistful beyond her years, and sad without being self-indulgent. Smart and skilled, but also honest and strong, she possesses a modern edge that pushes her out of the folk-singer mold and into the realm of inventive, innovative pop music.|
Rovi