Beth Orton's ninth studio album, "The Ground Above," released on June 26, 2026, via Mushroom Music/Partisan Records, is a self-produced effort that critics describe as a journey from deep despair to eventual hope and renewal. The album moves beyond her earlier "folktronica" sound, which blended folk and electronic textures, into a broader, freer, and more atmospheric style, reminiscent of her 2022 release, "Weather Alive." Throughout the album, Orton's distinct, sometimes newly creaky voice, is a central element, conveying significant emotional weight.
The title track, an eight-and-a-half-minute piece, exemplifies this patient approach, starting sparsely with piano and voice before gradually building in intensity with the introduction of drums and other instrumentation. Lyrically, it covers themes of grief, love, and survival, with Orton singing lines like "I’m invincible as grief" and "tearing through the ground to the sky above." While initially appearing vulnerable, these expressions ultimately reveal a hard-won clarity and triumph.
Other standout tracks include "Cigarette Curls," a soulful track featuring a large 11-piece band including Portishead’s Adrian Utley, and "I’ll Miss You," highlighted as a set highlight for its poetic exploration of balancing love and grief. The album is characterized by its gradual emergence, with songs often taking several minutes to fully develop, using a precise interplay of pressure, tone, and release. Final tracks like "Love You Right" and "Otherside" conclude with a sense of optimism, building towards ebullient arrangements with strings and horns.
The emotional journey of "The Ground Above" is often described as moving from a "dark night of the soul" to a "sweet dawn." Orton's introspective lyrics, combined with the dreamlike and multilayered musical arrangements, create a deeply immersive experience. The album is seen as a testament to her ongoing artistic evolution, where she no longer tries to reconcile different parts of her music but rather lets them find their own balance, resulting in a thoughtful and searching record.
