New Music Reviews: Boards of Canada and Beth Orton

It’s like we’re back in the 1990s this week, with excellent albums from Scottish electronic duo Boards of Canada and English singer-songwriter Beth Orton.

Boards of Canada

Inferno

2026, 8.5/10
Brothers Mike Sandison and Marcus Eoin have been together in Boards of Canada since 1986. Lots of my friends were into them back when 2002’s Geogaddi dropped, but I was too busy with old CSN and Joni Mitchell records. Boards of Canada are known for their distinctive sound palette, utilising vintage synthesiser tones, analogue equipment, and hip-hop-inspired beats.

Inferno is the duo’s first album in 13 years, and it’s worth the wait. The brothers haven’t given any interviews this cycle, leaving listeners to read their own meanings into the music. But it’s dark and brooding, while the narrators in the vocal samples are searching for meaning. The record is divided into two clear halves, with the first half based around vocal samples and the second half instrumental.

On the instrumental half, ‘Arena Americanada’ sounds like the framework for an awesome progressive rock piece. ‘You Retreat Intime and Space’ is gorgeous, while the opening ‘Prophecy At 1420Mhz’ is exciting.

Clearly I was silly to ignore Boards of Canada, and need to explore their back catalogue quicksmart.

Beth Orton

The Ground Above

2026, 8.5/10
Beth Orton enjoyed success in the mid-1990s with her “folktronica” sound, blending electronic beats with folk music. In the 21st century, her output has been eclectic, exploring Americana and electronica. She’s rarely repeated herself, which makes The Ground Above a surprise. It returns to the autumnal sophisti-pop of 2022’s Weather Alive, recalling the atmospheric music of Talk Talk and John Martyn. With Orton’s weathered voice, and the saxophone, it’s sometimes surprisingly reminiscent of The Waterboys’ 1980s “Big Music”.

The easy part is the la la la, here’s the idea, here’s the shape, here’s the form, and then it’s like: this all came unconsciously, how do I write to that standard consciously? That can be really, really challenging. It can make your skin crawl because it’s hard to write a good song.

Beth Orton, The Guardian

Orton’s voice has weathered over the years, but it only adds to her emotional impact. Her emotional vocals at the end of ‘Love You Right’ sound terrific. ‘Celestial Light’ is even more haunting and minimal than the rest of the record. ‘Cigarette Curls’ is the standout, riding a gentle groove.

Orton’s tapped into a terrific groove in her fourth decade of record-making, and The Ground Above is excellent.

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• 2026 albums on my to-do list
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