Daybreaker

<i>Daybreaker</i> finds Orton at a crossroads, marrying her debut's folktronica to the Americana of <i>Central Reservation</i>. There's also a newfound cinematic streak—the stately orchestrations of “Paris Train”—and her diverse array of collaborators speaks to Orton's amplified stature. The Smiths' Johnny Marr co-wrote the languid “Concrete Sky”, while her earliest collaborators, the Chemical Brothers, underwrite the title-track's paranoid ambience. Emmylou Harris pops up on Nashville waltz “God Song”, while Ryan Adams is a frequent presence: He lends backing vocals, and wrote the tender and lovely “This One's Gonna Bruise” for Orton to sing.