A balance of bitter and sweet

Beth Orton

“Comfort of Strangers” (Astralwerks)

* * * 1/2

It can be hard for a pop artist to shake an image, but on her first album in four years this acclaimed English singer-songwriter is doing her best to shed the “folk-plus-electronica” identity that was branded on her when she emerged in 1997.

A little lapping beat on the title song is just about the only trace of the old trip-hop on the collection, which is due in stores today. Orton’s determination to dig deeper into song and vocal expression instead of toying with a stylistic bauble has paid off in her best album since her debut.

Producer Jim O’Rourke, a longtime fixture in the world of adventurous rock and now a member of Sonic Youth, helps Orton brighten and vary the tone with playful, shimmering pop textures.

That makes for an engaging album, even if Orton’s themes are frequently dark and bittersweet -- one of her phrases, “euphoria of pain,” neatly identifies much of her emotional terrain. But there’s a balance here too, in songs such as “A Place Aside,” a quietly intimate celebration of an intermittent but enduring connection.

Orton’s distinctive singing is the glue. Her once-smooth voice is now slightly pitted and scarred, adding a sense of experience and authority.

There are a couple of dry and formal moments, but she chose the album’s title well. As hostile as the world can be, there’s always comfort to be found.

*

Albums are rated on a scale of one star (poor), two stars (fair), three stars (good) and four stars (excellent).