MUSIC
WHEN YOU KNOW, YOU KNOW New Zealand’s The Beths narrow their aim on third LP BY Z. B. REEVES
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tart describing The Beths to someone who hasn’t heard them, and you’ll quickly run upon a challenge. The pop-rock-emo quartet from Auckland, New Zealand, defies hyper-exact definitions, blending dense lyricism, anthemic guitar solos, punk-metal riffs, and four-part harmonies into their oeuvre of cheeky and sometimes devastating songs — which cover, generally: anxiety, love, and anxiety-inducing love. It’s a lot. That overwhelm takes the reins on “Silence is Golden,” the third track on their new album, 2022’s Expert in a Dying Field. The song is a high-velocity piece of shrapnel, wounding listeners with the woes of lead singer Elizabeth Stokes, as she bemoans the loudness of city life. “Wish I could freeze time / Go to the wild / Soak up the quiet / ’Til I’m dripping wet with it,” Stokes sings, strumming a metal-inspired polyrhythmic riff at the same time. Why does she choose to play the riff while singing, instead of having more-thancapable guitarist (and album producer) Jonathan Pearce handle it? It’s simply, as she puts it, a matter of fun. “I like a challenge, yeah,” Stokes says with a laugh. “I’m doing these different things with different parts of my body, and when I can get it all together, it’s really satisfying. I think it’s probably what’s fun about drumming. I split my brain into multiple parts. It’s a fun riff, and it’s great for my pinky finger, which has always been notoriously weak.” Indeed, weakness and satisfaction are two ends of a lyrical spectrum across which Stokes gallivants on the album. Expert represents a new leg in The Beths’ growth as a unit (including bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Tristan Deck) as their lyrical and instrumental output coheres into deeply felt and complex energetic rock. 16
MARCH 9, 2023
Take “I Told You That I Was Afraid,” in which Stokes’ somber lyrics about feeling invisible and hated are propelled by the hurtling-ahead pace set by Sinclair and Deck. In the bridge, Stokes pleads: “Kindly tell me a lie / Will you look me in the eye / And say it’ll all be alright in the end?” We’re never told if everything turns out alright, but the injury of that ignoThe Beths bring their Auckland-born brand of high-energy indie rock to the Front rance is salved by Pearce, who steps Range on Tuesday, March 14. Photo by Frances Carter. in to deliver the most breathless, blistering, “hell-yeah” guitar solo of the album. up and looked back with horror and 2020, the pandemic was shutting The Beths’ frenetic energy on admiration at its many failed attempts everything down. Unable to tour the Expert will come as no surprise to at love. The song builds like a nestalbum, plenty of worthy singles like listeners of their earlier albums, ing doll, stacking syntactic complexity “I’m Not Getting Excited,” “Jump 2018’s Future Me Hates Me and over catchiness in its triumphant preRope Gazers,” and “Out of Sight” got 2020’s Jump Rope Gazers, or their chorus, with lyrics combining starrylost in the noise. 2016 debut EP, Warm Blood. On the eyed optimism and hard-earned self Not so, here in 2023. The band latter, the band loudly announced a critique. landed in Portland for their North sound that was, “I can see a way to a new horizon / American winter while melancholSquinting through the clouds ’til it tour in mid-Februic, also full of joy. burns my eyes and / Every other star ary, supporting Upon that EP’s is a sun that’s rising / And every other their new material release, the New word, I’m apologizing,” Stokes sings, in a new, someZealand music as her falsetto and lyricism are what less-COVIDmagazine NZ pushed to Joni Mitchell-like extremes. emphatic world. Musician sugRecent announce- The instrumental energy is gested the quarrestrained, until the catchiest chorus ments of tours tet’s intent was of The Beths’ career explodes, maksupporting not only to “revive and ing it clear why the track is a recent Death Cab again celebrate the favorite among indie rock playlisters. (on their 20th increasingly lost “Yeah, I was chuffed when I wrote anniversary tour art of high enerit,” Stokes says. “We like to write with The Postal Courtesy Carpark Records gy guitar pop.” songs that are hard to play and yet Service), but also Whether or not high-energy guitar really fun for everybody to sing. That’s The National in late 2023, have bolpop was actually “lost” may be an really challenging and satisfying.” stered the band’s reputation. open question, but there’s no doubt Challenging and satisfying? Well, Stokes waxes humble about it: “It The Beths have infused it with a that’s not a bad way to describe The feels very steady. It hasn’t jumped up genuine sense of humor and fun. from bars to stadiums, but it feels like Beths, either. every time we go out, there are a few more people,” she says. “It’s really STEADY AS SHE GOES validating.” In 2019, The Beths took to Europe to ON THE BILL: The Beths The word “steady” is a good one to support Death Cab for Cutie — as with Sidney Gish. 8 p.m. describe a stand-out track from the strong a commendation as one could Tuesday, March 14, Summit, new album, “When You Know You ask for in the world of indie rock. But 1902 Blake St., Denver. $47 Know,” a ’90s-inspired fist-pumper just as their sophomore album Jump that feels like “Teenage Dirtbag” grew Rope Gazers was released in July BOULDER WEEKLY