Album Review: The Beths - "Straight Line Was a Lie"

The Beths pull out another solid album with Straight Line Was a Lie, their most emotionally vulnerable record to date full of catchy hooks and lyrically dense lines.

Anti - 2025

Indie pop rockers The Beths hail from New Zealand and have been one of the more buzzed about bands as of late. With an ear for hooks soundtracked by lead vocalist Elizabeth Stokes' self deprecating humor, The Beths have been a favorite for indie blogs and college radio alike. Their 2020 album Jump Rope Gazers is a favorite of mine full of pop rock gems while 2022's Expert In a Dying Field is a level up in production and performances from all four members. They have a nostalgic bend that comes from 90's and early 2000's indie rock veterans like The Breeders and there's a sugar rush when it comes to their upbeat bangers, like "I'm Not Getting Excited" or "Dying to Believe." So when the band announced that a new album is on the way, I was pretty hyped. The band is also releasing the new album through Anti Records after leaving Carpark, where they released their previous albums.

The new album, titled Straight Line Was a Lie, is still a Beths record through and through and there is a more introspective and personal endeavor in the lyrics and themes across the album. Themes of family struggle, the inability to regain control of your life, and the frustrations of not being able to find yourself or find who you are. Straight Line Was a Lie relates to someone who initially thinks the path to success and happiness in life is a straightforward path but in fact it's a circle, resulting in going back to where you started, or even further back than before. Stokes has been involved in this personal strife and I definitely relate to her struggles to regain control and to get back on track towards your goal. I've been struggling with finding purpose and happiness in recent memory and my path seems to be looping back to where I was previously time and time again. It's annoying and frustrating and I totally get it. You may be dealing with this, too. Singing about how the straight line was a circle and taking the long way is the way Stokes must go because every way's the long way, the title track is a vulnerable tune that encapsulates this mental health issue. Not only this but the song does genuinely go hard. Its rocking instrumental is loud and chugs along with delight, despite its imagery of hardship. It's definitely a highlight and a strong opener to the record.

"No Joy" is about the difficulty to find joy in doing things that should be enjoyable or were enjoyable previously but for some reason, they aren't currently finding you joy. This track I relate to heavily, since I've been having these same issues. Why can't we enjoy the things we have enjoyed before? It shouldn't be this difficult! Anyways, the song does slap and stacks among any of the tunes from their last album. "Metal" has blissful acoustic guitar that truly take you to a heavenly place, especially over these beautiful light harmonies. It's a sticky, standout tune on the album. "Mother, Pray for Me" is a ballad about her relationship with her mother and an attempt to mend together their relationship, despite their many differences. It's very emotional and sweet to hear. I also enjoy the moody grooves and urgency on "Take," the cutesy acoustics and driving imagery on "Roundabout," and the dark, Indiana Jones referencing "Ark of the Covenant" that finds Stokes scared of the uncertainty in uncovering her darker self. I also like the Talking Heads like grooves on "Best Laid Plans," a refreshingly different sonic palette for the band.

The Beths pull out another solid album with Straight Line Was a Lie, their most emotionally vulnerable record to date. Lyrically it's Stokes at her most personal and I definitely commend her for bravery in writing about her mental health struggles. The songs are sticky and riveting one way or another, whether it's from the catchy hooks or the lyrically dense lines. Their performances are strong and the production is still impressive. They still remain a band to watch and see what they do in the future. Even though I don't find this album as strong as previous albums, it's still remarkable and charming. I could see myself liking this album more and more over time and this may result in a better album experience for me because of it. This is most likely a great album that I'm initially calling good, and that's totally cool.

My Rating: 7 / 10

Favorite Songs: "Straight Line Was a Lie," "No Joy," "Metal," "Best Laid Plans," "Roundabout"