eth Orton surely doesn’t have to worry when it comes to female musicians giving her a run for her money. No other lady today makes thoughtful and meaningful folk music, especially up to these standards. She is the Kylie and Madonna in the world of singer/musician/songwriters, well, maybe without the hordes and hordes of fans and stalkers. Her new disc, Daybreaker, is pretty similar to her previous two releases: her debut, Trailer Park and Central Reservation, the follow—up.

Every song flows nicely into the next and there aren’t any big hit singles or even songs that stick out like a sore thumb. The only main difference is the impressive selection of guests that appear. As always, Orton doesn’t stick to the normal acoustic guitars and occasional strings. She plays around with her different tastes in music, which helps her music stand out and shows her innate arranging ability. Though folk is the obvious focus overall, she includes elements of jazz, classical, dance and pop to mix up her sound.

To help her, she has recruited the talents of Ben Watt (Everything But The Girl), The Chemical Brothers, Johnny Marr (The Smiths, Healers), William Orbit and Ryan Adams. What’s great about these artistic contributions is that they aren’t very obvious and never overshadow Orton’s talents. Watt mixed the whole album, but since he’s worked with her before, it all seems very familiar and comfortable. The Chemical Brothers’ production and mix on the title track contains their signature noises and beats, but if you know music by either artist, their work together should sound like it did seven years ago. Ryan Adams continues his ascent to stardom and helps Orton out whenever it is needed, whether it be with backing vocals and musicianship on “Concrete Sky” or “God Song” (which also features the legendary Emmylou Harris) or with his ability to pen a tune just for Ms. Orton (“This One’s Gonna Bruise”). They seem like a match made in musical heaven and yes, upon hearing it, everything is what you’d hope it would sound like.

Maybe in writing, this album might overshadow Orton’s contributions to her own album, but if you put it on the stereo, it only complements her taste in choosing partners. Who knows who she’ll have next time (my vote goes to Willie Nelson), but with each album, Orton continues, in the end and above all, to make great music. Yeah, she’s sticking with the formula that got her going six years ago, but when it actually works, why bother messing with it?