Kidsticks

Pitchfork 7.6/10 Written and produced in Los Angeles with Andrew Hung of Fuck Buttons, Beth Orton's latest is anxious, playful, and sounds little like anything the singer/songwriter has done before.

A.V. Club F After recording 2012’s folk-leaning Sugaring Season live in the studio with a full band, Beth Orton made a 180-degree creative pivot for her sixth solo album, Kidsticks. Instead of turning to acoustic guitar, the U.K. singer-songwriter first hunkered down in a garage and crafted keyboard loops with co-producer/Fuck…

The Line of Best Fit 7/10 Throughout her seventh album, Beth Orton’s soothing, airy vocals continuously elevate the songs to a special terrain, with themes of place, purpose and the strength found in both solitude and family giving the songs a meditative warmth and hypnotic…

The Skinny 4/5 Frenetic drumbeats with flickering guitars and synths power a blistering return from Beth Orton, on her finest form since her Trailer Park days.

Under The Radar 8.5/10 To those who've ignorantly discarded her as a one-season wonder on the back of 1996's (still excellent) Trailer Park, whisper it quietly: Beth Orton has been continuing to deliver work of significant quality over the past 20 years.

Clash 8/10 With 2012’s ‘Sugaring Season’, Beth Orton seemed to have found a folk niche in which to settle, having toyed with stopping altogether.

The Observer 4/5 (Anti)

Slant 3/5 Most of the songs on the album are quick and fun, with bright hooks and buoyant keyboards.

Pop Matters 8/10 Photo: Tierney.