Beth Orton - Kidsticks (Anti-) 2016
7
Beth Orton’s sixth full-length is, in a way, a very much anticipated return. The British singer-songwriter Beth Orton embraced her roots on Kidsticks, reaching for the sound that made her first two albums acclaimed and loved, and along with co-producer Andrew Hung (Fuck Buttons) she created an album inspired by L.A. (where she lives now) and based on a series of electronic loops that never sound too harsh or imposing, giving the album a very tasteful and delicious flow that is easily absorbed by the listener’s ears. Kidsticks covers a lot of sonic ground, and Beth Orton’s voice is always powerful, versatile, and slick enough to guide the tracks and add a much needed emotional weight and dimension. Kidsticks is an album that values songwriting.