ALBUM REVIEW: The Beths – ‘Straight Line Was A Lie’

Let’s start out with an enormous claim—among those doing what they do, The Beths are easily the most enjoyable. Like, out of all of them. And yes, that is imposing on the sacred-cow territory of indie-rock critic-baiters and any and all associated Boygenii. No one’s saying that The Record isn’t a good album, but does the cumulative work of Julien Baker, Phoebe Bridgers and Lucy Dacus scream out “fun”, exactly? Alternatively, are you feeling a rush of enthusiasm from the umpteenth singer-songwriter / Pitchfork fave whose indie-rock sounds dried out to the point of exhaustion?

The Beths, meanwhile, occupy many of the same stylistic spaces as their contemporaries, with the key difference of not being a total chore to listen to. It really is that basic a distinction, too. Often, they’re a bit lighter and poppier, not decentralising a laid-bare form of presentation but not leaving it to dangle lower than everything else, either. Expert In A Dying Field was as much of an earworm as indie-rock like this can produce, thanks to borrowing the precision of power-pop, and Elizabeth Stokes’ ear for an inexorable turn of phrase. (Plus, for differentiation’s sake, the New Zealand accent also helps.)

It’s wonderful to report, then, that Straight Line Was A Lie finds The Beths at their absolute best—sharper, more vibrant and absolutely catchier than ever. You may notice the omission of the specific word ‘fun’ from that list of adjectives, which isn’t without reason. It wouldn’t exactly seem right when one of the main strengths of the album is Stokes’ greatness at penning a standout sad line. The title track—itself with a cyclical form to mirror themes of sliding back into past depressions—lets out “I don’t know if I can go round again” via an exasperated sigh shaped into words. Mosquitoes follows, a song about the similarly nonlinear progression of the natural world, with the lyric “I’m only here to feed mosquitoes” ringing so resigned and isolated. Then, of course, there’s Mother, Pray For Me, the album’s stark centrepiece of Stokes’ plaintive yearning for a better understanding of her mother as a first-generation Indonesian immigrant.

So, yeah, ‘fun’ is hardly an appropriate term. But what continues to set The Beths apart—and subsequently raises them a lot higher—is the richness and pop sensibility that’s prized. It’s not quite pop-rock or indie-pop (even if the twee-er touches of Metal and Roundabout get extremely close); there’s still an indie-rock core at play here. There’s just an added shot of joie de vivre to it for the title track and No Joy’s skipping garage-rock, or what’s threaded in by subtly textured percussion on Til My Heart Stops and Best Laid Plans. It’s also why Take is by far the album’s weakest step, a step into choppy post-punk where the hardened drive of the guitar and bass clash with Stokes’ willowy voice instead of work with it. That then leads to the album’s only true compositional weak link, namely the threat of a roaring crescendo that feels too much for The Beths to pull off.

Other than that, Straight Line Was A Lie is effectively watertight. There’s a clear gift on display for making these small, insular songs pop as they do, one that, five albums in, The Beths are more than comfortable with flaunting. A song like Til My Heart Stops winds up a lot bigger than it actually is, thanks to a winning combination of a downbeat ‘90s mood, the slightest touch of modernity in some programmed drums, and the rip and sizzle of eventual guitars that never replace the free space but easily could. Not too dissimilar is Best Laid Plans, the closer that dips into stocks of new wave and dream-pop while held into place by dancing, wire-tight guitars. With a similar production shimmer throughout and even the odd instrumental curveball to sink into it—the frankly inspired choice to have a banjo centre the melody on Ark Of The Covenant, for instance—the surface appeal of this album couldn’t be more obvious.

And while that can be enough on its own, The Beths are canny enough to keep all of this just as crisp, taut and nonsense-free. Straight Line Was A Lie is such a welcome renovation to indie-rock’s staleness, not uncommon within The Beths’ catalogue by any stretch, but perhaps the best they’ve ever sounded at doing it. That’s not nothing, either; their increase has been at a steady trajectory basically since the start. This, though, is a bit steeper and sharper, and for that, it flourishes at bringing out The Beths’ best. A great little album in plenty of major ways.

For fans of: Charly Bliss, Cheekface, illuminati hotties

‘Straight Line Was A Lie’ by The Beths is released on 29th August on ANTI- Records.

Words by Luke Nuttall