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Elly Roberts reviews
FDM Records
- Cat.no: 3534012
- Released: February 2006
- Rating: 2/10
Sometimes you come across a piece of music that’s absolutely essential to your collection: this one isn’t.
It’s not always good karma to seek out the company of strangers – this albumis a case in point. Severely overrated Beth Orton‘s latest release, CompanyOf Strangers, her fourth studio recording was knocked together over twoweeks in New York in the spring of 2005, produced by ex-Sonic Youth axemanJim O’Rourke.
Simply put, this a rambling monster of a rambler containingfew defining moments. Unlike her contemporaries, such as K.T.Tunstall, shefails to hit any kind of ‘memorable’ resonance in her writing. Thecombination of monotonous, limp and dodgy vocals does little to enhance themorbidity of its laboured 14 tracks.
Heartland Truckstop picks up the pace for a while, and then relapses intotedium. Feral Children has the odd pleasant accordion touches, only to fallfoul of further limpness. Previously, she’s not managed to enter the top 20with any singles, and her highest album – her last release – The DefinitiveCollection – is the only one to make the top ten in the UK.
This one willbring the UK singer- songwriter little opportunity to improve on thatrecord. Omitting certain songs may have slightly enhanced its appeal, thoughthat’s in some doubt. In reality, Orton’s songwriting is way beyond average,with too many filler tracks: overall this collection is quite forgettable.
A great listening experience needs to be bold, dynamic, and accessible; muchof this isn’t.
Best of a bad bunch – the reasonably perky single Conceived wasreleased Monday January 30.
Weblink:Beth Orton.co.uk
The full list of tracks included are :
1. Worms
2. Countenance
3. Heartland Truckstop
4. Rectify
5. Comfort Of Strangers
6. Shadow Of A Doubt
7. Conceived
8. Absinthe
9. A Place Aside
10. Safe In Your Arms
11. Shopping Trolley
12. Feral Children
13. Heart Of Soul
14. Pieces Of Sky
Elly Roberts passed away in 2011, but he was a man who was so passionate about all types of music and loved meeting his musical heroes, such as Mick Hucknall at a book signing at the Trafford Centre, Manchester in 2007.
A former teacher and also a music journalist, DJ and radio presenter on local community station Calon FM, plus appearances on BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and BBC Radio 2, Elly started doing reviews for DVDfever.co.uk in 2004 and he did the majority of the CD and concerts reviews on the website.
I know also that he loved getting away for the summer to Spain and I hope that wherever he is now he is enjoying the hot sunshine and, as one of his friends has said on his Facebook page, that he is interviewing his musical heroes.