Beth Orton

Beth Orton's second single remains the benchmark by which her genre-defining brand of acoustica is judged. A deceptively simple vocal ballad turned inside out by skittering electronic textures, trip-hop beats, and a dub-like bassline, "Touch Me With Your Love" still sounds fresh after innumerable listens. As an EP package, however, this one's mostly for completists; the non-album "Pedestal" is the bait, a lilting acoustic ballad that immediately disproves any notions that Orton's lost without electronic adornment. A live reading of the Trailer Park finale, "Galaxy of Emptiness," is largely unnecessary but still interesting, anticipating the more soulful, earthy approach of Orton's subsequent work, but the instrumental version of the title cut that rounds out the set is little more than filler. ~ Jason Ankeny, All Music Guide