Sugaring Season is English singer-songwriter Beth Orton's fifth studio album, her first new work for six years. It was recorded in Portland, Oregon at the studio of producer Tucker Martine. It is her first release for the ANTI- record label with whom she signed in 2010. In 2014 it was awarded a silver certification from the Independent Music Companies Association,[10] which indicated sales of at least 20,000 copies throughout Europe.[11]
| Sugaring Season | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 1 October 2012 | |||
| Recorded | Flora Recording & Playback, Portland, Oregon, US | |||
| Genre | Folk, adult alternative | |||
| Length | 37:25 | |||
| Label | ANTI- | |||
| Producer | Tucker Martine | |||
| Beth Orton chronology | ||||
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| Singles from Sugaring Season | ||||
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| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 75/100[1] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [2] |
| The A.V. Club | C+[3] |
| Drowned in Sound | 7/10[4] |
| Paste | 8.5/10[5] |
| Pitchfork Media | 7.7[6] |
| Rolling Stone | [7] |
| Slant Magazine |  [8] |
| This Is Fake DIY | 8/10[9] |
Critical reviews edit
Review aggregation website Metacritic assigned Sugaring Season a score of 76 based on twenty-eight reviews, denoting "generally favorable reviews".[1] Thom Jurek of Allmusic gave the album four stars out of five and called it "sophisticated, mature, and rife with quiet passion", and said "its songs are informed by the struggles inherent in everyday life, but also account for dreams, small triumphs, and the redemptive power of love".[2]
Track listing edit
All songs were composed by Beth Orton except where noted:
- "Magpie" – 4:32
- "Dawn Chorus" – 3:24
- "Candles" – 3:45
- "Something More Beautiful" (Orton, M. Ward) – 3:28
- "Call Me the Breeze" (Orton, Tom Rowlands) – 3:52
- "Poison Tree" (lyrics partially by William Blake) – 4:06
- "See Through Blue" (Orton, Clemence Des Rochers, Pierre Brault) – 1:54
- "Last Leaves of Autumn" – 4:01
- "State of Grace" – 4:15
- "Mystery" – 4:08
- Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
- "That Summer Feeling" (Jonathan Richman) – 4:37
- "I Wasn't Born to Follow" (Byrds) – 3:59
- "Goin' Back" (Neil Young) – 4:02
Personnel edit
- Beth Orton – vocals, guitar
- Rob Burger – piano, harmonium, electric piano, accordion
- Brian Blade – drums, percussions
- Clarice Jensen – cello
- Ted Barnes – guitar, banjo
- Marc Ribot – guitar
- Carl Broemel – guitar
- Sam Amidon – guitar, organ, violin, backing vocals
- Eyvind Kang – viola
- Nadia Sirota – viola
- Ben Russell – violin
- Tucker Martine – percussions
- Sebastian Steinberg – bass
- Nate Query – bass
- Laura Veirs – backing vocals
Charts edit
| Chart (2012) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| UK Albums (OCC)[12] | 26 |
| US Billboard 200[13] | 90 |
References edit
- ^ a b "Sugaring Season Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ a b Jurek, Thom (1 October 2012). "Sugaring Season". AllMusic.
- ^ Zaleski, Annie (2 October 2012). "Beth Orton's Sugaring Season". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ Moores, J.R (26 September 2012). "Sugaring Season review". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ Heselgrave, Douglas (2 October 2012). "Beth Orton: Sugaring Season". Paste. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ Currin, Grayson (3 October 2012). "Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ Rosen, Jody (2 October 2012). "Sugaring Season — Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ "Slant review". Slant Magazine. 9 October 2012.
- ^ Man, Bevis. "Beth Orton — Sugaring Season". This Is Fake DIY. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
- ^ "Photographic image" ({NG). Impalamusic.com. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
- ^ "IMPALA Awards for European Independent Acts Hit Record Levels | Impala". Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
- ^ "Beth Orton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
