The Beths Album Reviews

The Beths met at jazz school in Auckland, New Zealand. Guitarist Jonathan Pearce stated that playing jazz provided a “very clear idea of what we didn’t want to do”. Instead, the quartet reverted to the music they loved in their youth. The Beths are inspired by 1990s guitar rock, infused with the pop sensibility of The Breeders’ ‘Cannonball’ or Weezer’s Blue Album.

Songwriter Elizabeth Stokes started playing in the folk duo Teacup at the age of 14, while she worked as a trumpet teacher before concentrating on The Beths. Pearce, Stokes, and bassist Benjamin Sinclair all played in original drummer Ivan Luketina-Johnston’s swing band. While the group’s instrumental prowess isn’t a focus, their musical training is clear in their intricate vocal arrangements.

The Beths Album Reviews

Future Me Hates Me

2018, 9/10
Like one of my favourite 2017 records, Charly Bliss’ Guppy, The Beths’ power-pop is rooted in 1990s guitar-rock. But where Charly Bliss’ vocals are high-pitched and excitable, The Beths’ Elizabeth Stokes is a typically deadpan New Zealander. Stokes’ likeable, low-key personality is upfront in the album’s most immediate song. Stokes delivers self-effacing lines on the title track like:

Future heart break, future headaches
Wide eyed nights late lying awake
With future cold shakes from stupid mistakes
Future me hates me for, hates me for

On songs like ‘Happy Unhappy’, the hooks come from the surprisingly ornate backing vocals. Power pop can be a limiting genre, but there’s enough boundary-pushing to suggest that The Beths have ideas beyond punchy guitars and big choruses. ‘River Run: Lvl 1’ and ‘Less Than Thou’, both towards the back end of Future Me Hate Me, feature slower tempos and sludgier guitars.

The Beths have demanded attention for this excellent 2018 debut, with positive write-ups in tastemakers like Rolling Stone and Pitchfork. It’s an excellent record, wry and tuneful.

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Jump Rope Gazers

2020, 8.5/10
Power pop is littered with one-hit wonders and its tough for sophomore albums. It’s a straightforward genre, based on youthful energy and vibrant hooks, and it’s easy for subsequent records to sound like retreads. The Beths’ sophomore record Jump Rope Gazers does a good job of balancing power pop thrills with some exploration in other directions. Ivan Luketina-Johnston left The Beths to concentrate on his swing band Sal Valentine and was replaced by Tristan Deck.

Energetic songs like ‘Dying to Believe’ are boosted by clever arrangements – the double-tracked guitars and virtuoso drumming in the introduction indicate that Pearce, Sinclair, and Deck could form a respectable metal band. Typical of Stokes’ deadpan persona, the most upbeat song is titled ‘I’m Not Getting Excited’. On ‘Mars the God of War’, Stokes uses clever metaphors to condemn internet trolls. The slower songs show growth. Stokes is yearning and vulnerable on ‘Do You Want Me Now’, while shimmering guitars underpin ‘Jump Rope Gazers’. The band go full acoustic on the pretty ‘You Are A Beam of Light’, while the closer ‘Just Shy of Sure’ updates the Flying Nun sound of the 1980s.

Jump Rope Gazers has been getting less attention than their debut, 

even though The Beths do a great job of growing and expanding their sound.

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Expert In A Dying Field

2022, 8.5/10
The Beths have gone through the “difficult” second album. This is always a difficult challenge in power-pop where it’s hard to expand your band’s sound. On their third album, they excel on the mellow material where they utilise their harmonies, a strong point for this technically accomplished group.

There’s a range of moods on Expert in a Dying Field – the title track is attention-grabbing with its relatable central premise. The misleadingly titled ‘Silence is Golden’ pushes close to punk, while ‘Head in the Clouds’ is perky power-pop. ‘2am’ is a lovely, gentle closer and ‘I Want to Listen’ is driven by an acoustic jangle.

Expert in a Dying Field is a strong third album, an accomplished band with expertise in the guitar-pop field.

10 Best Songs by The Beths

Future Me Hates Me
Little Death
2am
Jump Rope Gazers
Just Shy of Sure
Silence is Golden
Happy Unhappy

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