Sugaring Season is the sixth studio album by English singer-songwriter Beth Orton. It was 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
Released1 October 2012
RecordedFlora Recording & Playback, Portland, Oregon, US
GenreFolk, adult alternative
Length37:25
LabelANTI-
ProducerTucker Martine
Beth Orton chronology
Comfort of Strangers
(2006)
Sugaring Season
(2012)
Kidsticks
(2016)
Singles from Sugaring Season
  1. "Something More Beautiful"
    Released: 10 July 2012
  2. "Magpie"
    Released: 28 August 2012
  3. "Call Me the Breeze"
    Released: 11 September 2012
Professional ratings
Aggregate scores
SourceRating
Metacritic75/100[1]
Review scores
SourceRating
AllMusic[2]
The A.V. ClubC+[3]
Drowned in Sound7/10[4]
Paste8.5/10[5]
Pitchfork Media7.7[6]
Rolling Stone[7]
Slant Magazine [8]
This Is Fake DIY8/10[9]

Critical reviews

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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

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All songs were composed by Beth Orton except where noted:

  1. "Magpie" – 4:32
  2. "Dawn Chorus" – 3:24
  3. "Candles" – 3:45
  4. "Something More Beautiful" (Orton, M. Ward) – 3:28
  5. "Call Me the Breeze" (Orton, Tom Rowlands)  – 3:52
  6. "Poison Tree" (lyrics partially by William Blake) – 4:06
  7. "See Through Blue" (Orton, Clemence Des Rochers, Pierre Brault) – 1:54
  8. "Last Leaves of Autumn" – 4:01
  9. "State of Grace" – 4:15
  10. "Mystery" – 4:08
Deluxe Edition bonus tracks
  1. "That Summer Feeling" (Jonathan Richman) – 4:37
  2. "I Wasn't Born to Follow" (Byrds) – 3:59
  3. "Goin' Back" (Neil Young) – 4:02

Personnel

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Charts

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Chart performance for Sugaring Season
Chart (2012) Peak
position
UK Albums (OCC)[12] 26
US Billboard 200[13] 90

References

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  1. ^ a b "Sugaring Season Review". Metacritic. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b Jurek, Thom (1 October 2012). "Sugaring Season". AllMusic.
  3. ^ Zaleski, Annie (2 October 2012). "Beth Orton's Sugaring Season". The A.V. Club. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  4. ^ Moores, J.R (26 September 2012). "Sugaring Season review". Drowned in Sound. Archived from the original on 29 September 2012. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  5. ^ Heselgrave, Douglas (2 October 2012). "Beth Orton: Sugaring Season". Paste. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  6. ^ Currin, Grayson (3 October 2012). "Album Review". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  7. ^ Rosen, Jody (2 October 2012). "Sugaring Season — Album Review". Rolling Stone. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  8. ^ "Slant review". Slant Magazine. 9 October 2012.
  9. ^ Man, Bevis. "Beth Orton — Sugaring Season". This Is Fake DIY. Retrieved 4 October 2012.
  10. ^ "Photographic image" ({NG). Impalamusic.com. Retrieved 7 June 2023.
  11. ^ "IMPALA Awards for European Independent Acts Hit Record Levels | Impala". Archived from the original on 27 August 2017. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  12. ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Beth Orton Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved 4 September 2022.