The Ground Above
| The Ground Above | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 26 June 2026 | |||
| Length | 47:22 | |||
| Label | Partisan | |||
| Producer | Beth Orton | |||
| Beth Orton chronology | ||||
| ||||
The Ground Above is the ninth studio album by English singer-songwriter Beth Orton. The album was released on 26 June 2026 by Partisan Records.
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.8/10[1] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[2] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| Clash | 9/10[3] |
| Mojo |   [4] |
| MusicOMH |  [5] |
| Northern Transmissions | 7.3/10[6] |
| Paste | B+ |
| Slant[7] | [8] |
| Spectrum Culture | 70%[9] |
| Uncut | [10] |
According to the review aggregator Metacritic, The Ground Above received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 83 out of 100 from ten critic scores.[2] The review aggregator Any Decent Music gave the album a weighted average score of 7.8 out of 10 from twelve critic scores.[1]
Track listing
All tracks are written by Beth Orton except where noted.
| No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | "The Ground Above" | 8:33 | |
| 2. | "Before I Knew" |
| 6:22 |
| 3. | "Cigarette Curls" | 6:42 | |
| 4. | "Waiting" | 4:38 | |
| 5. | "Celestial Light" | 5:23 | |
| 6. | "I'll Miss You" | 5:48 | |
| 7. | "Love You Right" | 5:05 | |
| 8. | "Otherside" | 4:50 | |
| Total length: | 47:22 | ||
Personnel
These credits have been adapted from Tidal.[11]
- Beth Orton – production, vocals (all tracks); Rhodes piano (tracks 1 and 7); Wurlitzer (track 3); piano (tracks 4 and 8); background vocals (track 8)
- Shahzad Ismaily – bass (tracks 1, 4, 5, and 8); acoustic guitar (track 3); organ (track 4); synthesiser (tracks 5 and 6); flute, nylon-string guitar, percussion (track 6)
- Vishal Nayak – drums, recording (tracks 1 and 5)
- Dave Okumu – electric guitar (tracks 1, 4, and 6–8)
- Grey McMurray – electric guitar (tracks 1, 3, 5, and 6); background vocals (tracks 4 and 6)
- Sam Beste – piano (tracks 1–5, 7, and 8); synthesiser (tracks 3, 5, and 7)
- Christos Stylianides – trumpet (tracks 1, 2, and 4)
- Greg Calbi – mastering (all tracks)
- Steve Fallone – mastering (all tracks)
- Craig Silvey – mixing (all tracks)
- Tom Herbert – double bass (track 2); bass (tracks 3, 4, 6, and 7)
- Chris Vatalaro – drums (tracks 2–4, 7, and 8)
- Adrian Utley – electric guitar (tracks 2–4); acoustic guitar (track 7)
- Sam Amidon – fiddle (track 2)
- Cameron Craig – recording (tracks 2–4, 7, and 8)
- Mauro Refosco – congas (track 3); marimba (track 5)
- Leo Abrahams – electric guitar (track 3)
- Paul Butler – orchestration (tracks 3, 7, and 8)
- Nick Hakim – vocals (track 3)
- Teeny Lieberson – background vocals (tracks 4, 7, and 8)
- Jesse Chandler – flute (tracks 4, 5), organ (track 4)
- Ben Sloan – drums (track 5)
- Tom Skinner – drums (track 6)
- Mikko Gordon – recording (track 6)
Charts
| Chart (2026) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| French Physical Albums (SNEP)[12] | 192 |
| French Rock & Metal Albums (SNEP)[13] | 40 |
| Scottish Albums (Official Charts)[14] | 12 |
| UK Albums (Official Charts)[15] | 85 |
| UK Independent Albums (Official Charts)[16] | 1 |
References
- 1 2 "The Ground Above by Beth Orton reviews". Any Decent Music. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- 1 2 "The Ground Above". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved 18 July 2026.
- ↑ Harrison, Finlay (26 June 2026). "Beth Orton - The Ground Above | Reviews". Clash. ISSN 1743-0801. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Doyle, Tom (25 June 2026) [in print: 11 June 2026]. "Beth Orton The Ground Above Reviewed: Vast and moving". Mojo. No. 393 [August 2026]. London, United Kingdom: Bauer Media Group. p. 86. ISSN 1351-0193. Archived from the original on 26 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Hogwood, Ben (27 June 2026). "Beth Orton - The Ground Above | Album Reviews". MusicOMH. ISSN 2516-6220. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Brownstein, Charles (25 June 2026). "Beth Orton - The Ground Above". Northern Transmissions. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Melis, Matt (30 June 2026). "Beth Orton, 'The Ground Above' Album Review". Paste. Paste Media Group. ISSN 1540-3106. OCLC 49937508. Archived from the original on 30 June 2026. Retrieved 30 June 2026.
- ↑ Cinquemani, Sal (21 June 2026). "Beth Orton 'The Ground Above' Review: From Dark Night to Sweet Dawn". Slant Magazine. Archived from the original on 22 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Polichar, Valerie (29 June 2026). "Beth Orton: The Ground Above". Spectrum Culture. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ Wallace, Wyndham (11 June 2026) [in print: 22 May 2026, the July 2026 issue]. "Beth Orton's The Ground Above reviewed: candid album finds hard-won clarity". Uncut. London, United Kingdom: Kelsey Media. p. 32. ISSN 1368-0722. Archived from the original on 29 June 2026. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Credits / The Ground Above / Beth Orton". Tidal. Block. Retrieved 29 June 2026.
- ↑ "Top Albums Physiques (Semaine du 3 juillet 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Top Rock & Metal Albums (Semaine du 3 juillet 2026)" (in French). Syndicat national de l'édition phonographique. Retrieved 6 July 2026.
- ↑ "Official Scottish Albums Chart on 3/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Official Albums Chart on 3/7/2026 – Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2026.
- ↑ "Official Independent Albums Chart on 3/7/2026 – Top 50". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 4 July 2026.