[[Image:bethlillith.jpg|thumb|left|Orton at Lilith Fair, 1999]]
That summer she toured with [[Lilith Fair]], released the ''[[Best Bit]]'' EP, which included the single "[[Best Bit]]", and collaborated with soul legend [[Terry Callier]] on a cover of [[Fred Neil]]'s song "Dolphins". ImprovingThat song improved on her previous best chart position, reaching No.number 38 in the UK. ''[[Central Reservation (album)|Central Reservation]]'', her second album (proper), helped Orton build on the success of her début. Although retaining the electronic edge of the former, this record showed a notably more acoustic side with a few tracks consisting purely of Orton's vocals accompanied by a solitary [[Steel-string guitar|acoustic guitar]], with subject matters becoming more introspective, including "Pass in Time", a song about the death of her mother. Despite this style, the album still provided more polished moments such as lead single "[[Stolen Car (Beth Orton song)|Stolen Car]]", the jazz-and-strings-tinged "Sweetest Decline", and the electro melancholy of "Stars All Seem to Weep" (with the haunting vocal allegedly recorded in a single take). The album also featured notable contributions from [[soul music|soul]] musician [[Terry Callier]], [[(Dr.) Robert Howard|Dr. Robert]] and [[Ben Harper]]. Two tracks were produced by [[Ben Watt]] of [[Everything But The Girl]].
The album earned Orton a second [[Mercury Music Prize]] nomination and won the Best Female Artist award at the 2000 [[BRIT Awards]].
