Comfort Of Strangers
by Beth Orton
User Score
7.8

Generally favorable reviews- based on 29 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 21 out of 29
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 29
  3. Negative: 3 out of 29

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  1. katie,aprincess
    Feb 7, 2006
    4
    are you keeeding me? there are no legs on 90% of the songs on this album. not only did orton make a visit it snoozeville, but her songwriting sounds lazy. i don't need big melodies or trip-hop... i just want a reason to spin it. i have heard very few reasons in "comfort of strangers."
  2. Matt
    Feb 7, 2006
    6
    From Orton, I like the electro-folk pop sound of Daybreaker the most. On Comfort Of Strangers, her voice, which I'm already not crazy about, sounds unclear. On the positive side, some songs do sound fresh.
  3. TomB
    Feb 8, 2006
    5
    I am predisposed to liking Ms. Orton, but I must agree with Katie's comments below. A snoozer of an album.
  4. EvanS
    Feb 21, 2006
    5
    I have Orton's album on a loop in my office and have found it nothing short of grating - her droning, wah-wah vocals and lackluster accompanimentmake "Comfort of Strangers" a ho-hum Jon Brion wanna-be effort.
  5. susie
    May 28, 2006
    6
    The first few times I listened to this album I was so depressed because I though that Beth was going down the lame and boring route. With each additional listen the album has grown on me and I enjoy it now more than Daybreaker (but quite honestly that is not saying much). Overall I think that it is a worthwhile album but not amazing. The songs are interesting enough, but the main problem The first few times I listened to this album I was so depressed because I though that Beth was going down the lame and boring route. With each additional listen the album has grown on me and I enjoy it now more than Daybreaker (but quite honestly that is not saying much). Overall I think that it is a worthwhile album but not amazing. The songs are interesting enough, but the main problem for me with the album is that I feel that it lacks energy.… Expand

Critic Reviews

All reviews »
Metascore
78

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 5 out of 32
  3. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Amazon.com
    80
    Both her most musically spare and artistically complex [album] to date.
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  2. NOW Magazine
    80
    While Orton has a tendency to mimic her own melodies, she explores jazz structures here in engaging, exciting ways, and the indigent heartland iconography of her lyrics is beautiful without being cloying.
    Read full review
  3. Spin
    83
    Unerringly lovely, but best when the drums heat up. [Feb 2006, p.87]
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