Daybreaker

1	Paris Train
2	Concrete Sky
3	Mount Washington
4	Anywhere
5	Daybreaker
6	Carmella
7	God Song
8	This One's Gonna Bruise
9	Ted's Waltz
10	Thinking About Tomorrow

Barnes & Noble

Perhaps more important than the great electronica revolution that, outside of a few key hits from Moby and Madonna, never really took hold is the stylistic shift caused by the increasing ranks of artists who came of age with both acoustic guitars and samplers. British singer-songwriter Beth Orton is sonic kin to Sarah McLachlan and Dido, both of whom have claimed chart success with their song-based experiments, and on her stunning third album, Daybreaker, Orton continues to blaze her own influential trail. Orton, who was "discovered" by Ray of Light producer William Orbit in the early '90s and has sung on every Chemical Brothers album, distinguishes herself as a clear descendant of British folkies such as Sandy Denny (to whom she owes her willowy vocals) and Nick Drake (her occasionally haunting acoustic guitar picking). Daybreaker, most of which was nimbly mixed by Everything But the Girl's Ben Watt, capitalizes on her strengths. More prominent than the occasional shimmering effects on the Chemical Brothers-produced "Paris Train" and the Orbit-mixed "Thinking About Tomorrow" are the lush, swooning strings and Orton's gutsy vocals, which are really the star of this show. She stakes new ground with her vocal contributors, who bring a sweet southern accent to the fold: Emmylou Harris harmonizes on the teary lament "God Song," and alt-country poster boy Ryan Adams sings on the piano-centric ballad "Concrete Sky" -- he also wrote the spare heartbreaker "This One's Gonna Bruise." But it's Orton's doe-eyed musings and aching delivery that assert her true star status, regardless of genre or chart success. Lydia Vanderloo

Rolling Stone

Orton has one of those voices so hot-wired to her heart that she could jam with Mantovani and the result would still be raw. Barry Walters

New York Times Magazine

More ambitious and lush than anything she has previously done. Her melodies are more intricate and surprising, her singing more confident. Gerald Marzorati