Pitchfork

Freckle-faced Beth Orton's 1996 debut, Trailer Park was a record that showed some innovative orchestration and beautiful southern melodies, but best of all, combined graceful, acoustic folk songs with hints of electronic production. It ruled.

Best Bit is five more tracks of that kind of thing, except the songs aren't as memorable. They're kinda relaxing; something to put on the tape deck for a midsummer sunbath, but nothing you're gonna walk away overly psyched about. The title cut's the only track worth writing home about, and it's the one song that saves this EP from straight mediocrity. "Best Bit" has that trademark Orton twang, and musically, it sounds like a companion piece to "She Cries Your Name," though it's got more balls.

"Dolphins," a cheesy (but appealing) easy-listening gem was recorded with soulman Terry Callier, as was "Lean On Me," a lackluster cover of one of his songs (not the Bill Withers tune). "Touch Me with Your Love," a shoe-in for best title, is a live performance from KCRW's "Morning Becomes Eclectic" morning show that's 100% acoustic, and gives off a much more personal vibe than the Trailer Park original. Best Bit makes for a nice EP, but ultimately comes off as a release that would only be of mild interest to anyone other than a true Orton fan.