On a happier note ...

Miserablist of the 1990s Beth Orton is calmer now and her music is better, says Ed Power

FOR those who wondered what became of ’90s acoustic queen, Beth Orton, the singer has a straightforward answer. “I’ve not made an album for several years. But I certainly haven’t had a ‘hiatus’,” she says. “I’ve been doing my writing. I did a record with [cult folkie] Bert Jansch. It’s been pretty productive. I’ve also had a couple of kids. You know, that sort of thing.”

At 41, Orton is making peace with her demons. Her new LP, Sugaring Season, is contemplative and mature — the work of an artist who, after a life of turmoil, has achieved inner calm. It’s a radical change from the songs she wrote in her 20s and 30s, when she seemed skittish, unsure of what she wanted out of life or music. She is older and wiser and much the better for it.