Orton and company graced the stage well after 10 p.m., starting off with the subtle “Absinthe”—she set the mood with her light harmonica and romantic stories singing, “No I never find my way home,” giving homage to Blind Faith.

She picked it up with the steady beat of “Heartland Truckstop”, “Confidentially, its always as it seems,” such an apt phrase because Orton’s honesty is what makes her stand out, she is exactly as she seems. Throughout the performance she reaffirmed this down to earth image, in between songs she was a bit awkward but it was more just being herself; fumbling with her chords stating, “I’m just a girl,” mocking herself after swearing when her guitar didn’t work, and even responding, ”I love you back” at her fans’ praises.

Easily the focus of the show was the new album—in fact all fourteen songs on Comfort was played. Hence surprisingly enough the radio single, “Conceived” was only the fourth song of the night with the band breezing through it, clearly wanting to get on to some of the more challenging material.

The show glided along with all eyes trained on Orton as her charm toyed with the heart strings of the crowd—made up of a wide range of twenty to forty somethings, college kids, listeners of public radio, and the die hard fans of Beth’s now 10 year solo career.

“Shadow of a Doubt,” leading into “Heart of Soul” both from the new album, filled the venue with her passion as she sang, “I don’t care how much religion you got, just put a little love in your heart.” The non stop flow ebbed into “Shopping Trolley” a bouncing pop song with the bittersweet lyrics, “I think I’m gonna cry, and I’m gonna laugh about it all in time.” After this segment of up-tempo songs, she put the guitar away for a moment and serenaded us with the slow piano track “Comfort of Strangers” revealing to us that, “one love is better than none.”

If there was one thing you could ask for of the show it would have been an appearance by Jim O’Rourke, the guitarist who lately has been moonlighting with Sonic Youth, he produced her album and provided much of the guitar and piano to the tracks. Though her four piece band of guitarist Emmett Kelly, ex-Wilco musician Leroy Bach on bass, and pianist Sean Read were more than proficient; especially drummer Matthew Johnson with his balancing of the delicate mood songs, using brushes and finger tips on the skins into the funkiness of her pop.

The end of the first encore epitomizes her new sound fully, “A Place Aside” includes crescendos up and down in mid-song, creating the bittersweet aura that surrounds Orton. There is a dynamic nature of her songs that utilize an abrupt change of mood from chorus to verse instead of just song-to-song on her earlier work; subtle pop that bounces at one moment then slowly echoes the next.

After an hour and half when the house lights began to go on, she even appeared solo for a second encore treating us with her acoustic cover version of the Five Stairsteps’ classic “Ooo Child”. Reminding one that you can still find moments of awe, like watching Beth Orton and hearing her tell all that, “things are gonna get easier.” At least one night in April we can feel loved by an artist that isn’t afraid to wear her heart on her sleeve, and in fact is congratulated for it instead of having to compromise her vision.

SETLIST:
• Absinthe
• Heartland Truckstop
• Rectify
• Conceived
• Safe in Your Arms
• Stolen Car
• Someone's Daughter
• Shadow of a Doubt
• Heart of Soul
• Shopping Trolley
• Comfort of Strangers
• Sugar Boy
• God Song
• Best Bit
• Countenance
• Pieces of Sky
First Encore
• Worms
• Feral
• Pass in Time (played with the opening msuician Willy Mason)
• A Place Aside
Second Encore
• Ooh Child
• She Cries Your Name

Online | www.bethorton.mu