Beth Orton - The Ground Above

Beth Orton's ninth album finds her coming up for air. Where 2022's Weather Alive drifted through a submerged, spectral haze, The Ground Above plants both feet back on solid earth. It is her most direct and unguarded record yet, urgent and embodied in a way that marks a clear departure from the dreamlike suspension of its predecessor. This is an album about survival and what comes after it: integration, renewal, and an acceptance that never tips into resignation.

Self-produced for the first time in her career, Orton built these eight songs with a tight circle of collaborators, including multi-instrumentalist Shahzad Ismaily, keyboardist Sam Beste, drummers Chris Vatalaro and Vishal Nayak, trumpeter Christos Styliandes, and bassist Tom Herbert. The result is a record that feels lived-in and physically present, tracks like "Before I Knew," "Celestial Light," and the title cut carry real weight and breath, a far cry from the time-out-of-time atmosphere she explored last time around. Taking on production herself has pushed her songwriting and arranging to new ground, and it shows in how confidently this record moves.

This Indie Exclusive pressing arrives on smokey, translucent marbled vinyl in the "Cigarette Curls" colorway, named for the album's own standout track. It's a fitting physical match for a record that's all about exhaling after a long time underwater. A great entry point for longtime fans of Orton's folktronica roots and newcomers drawn in by her most clear-eyed songwriting to date.