Quiet Power - Beth Orton Debuts The Ground Above at Night & Day Café
- Toni Slater
- 2 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Night & Day Cafe, Manchester 2nd July 2026
WORDS AND IMAGES TONI SLATER
"The Ground Above" is the ninth studio album from celebrated singer-songwriter and former Brit Award winner Beth Orton.
Released through Partisan Records on 26 June 2026, the album marks another chapter in a career built on honesty, vulnerability, and a refusal to stand still.
The Manchester album launch took place at the iconic Night & Day Café. The venue has recently faced threats of closure due to noise complaints from neighbouring residents, but an amendment to a noise abatement notice has allowed it to continue operating under new conditions. It feels fitting that an artist as enduring and quietly defiant as Orton should launch her latest work in a venue that has fought so hard to keep its doors open.
With a capacity of just 250, Night & Day has a warm, laid-back atmosphere. There's a great selection of beers and wines behind the bar, cleverly placed dim lighting, and walls plastered with local gig posters and stickers that tell the story of decades of live music. It's the sort of room where songs feel close enough to touch.
Beth and her band took to the tiny stage just before 8pm to give the audience a first taste of the new album.
She began almost timidly, her voice cracking with emotion as gentle piano accompanied the opening couple of songs. There were one or two barely noticeable mistakes, prompting her to smile and admit, "We're just using this as a public rehearsal for the real tour in October!" The audience laughed, the ice melted instantly, and what followed over the next 35 minutes was a captivating blend of raw emotion, honesty, vulnerability, and quiet acceptance. It felt less like a performance and more like being invited into someone's thoughts.
Beth Orton remains one of Britain's finest songwriters, with a rare spiritual beauty running through her lyrics. She moves effortlessly between folk, electronica, and subtle shades of jazz and ambient music without ever sounding forced. It's music that breathes naturally, unconcerned with trends or expectations.
Opening track "The Ground Above" is an epic eight-and-a-half-minute triumph, slowly unfolding into something vast and immersive, rewarding every second of its running time. Track three, "Cigarette Curls," is a hypnotic, soulful downtempo gem. It begins with nothing more than Orton's heartfelt vocal before blossoming into a rich arrangement of drums, guitar, and trumpet that gently washes over the room. You could almost feel the audience leaning in. The crowd were mesmerised, absorbing every note of music they had never heard before as though they were already old favourites.
She closed the set with the much-loved "Central Reservation," originally released in 1999. It was the perfect reminder that while Orton continues to evolve creatively, the emotional thread running through her music has remained remarkably consistent for nearly three decades.
The Norfolk-born singer didn't perform the album in its entirety, but she offered more than enough to leave the audience wanting more. As soon as the final notes faded, a sizeable queue formed at the merchandise table as fans eagerly collected their pre-ordered vinyl copies and snapped up the new record. That's usually the clearest review of a launch show you'll ever get.
Beth Orton embarks on a UK tour this October. If this intimate Manchester performance is anything to go by, audiences are in for something genuinely special.
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