Third Time Is Still the Charm for The Beths

The Auckland, New Zealand back with another album of power pop perfection and destined for their biggest audience yet.

Let’s get this out of the way: “Expert in a Dying Field,” the title track from The Beths’ newest record, is one of the year's greatest singles. Opening with Benjamin Sinclair’s fuzzed-out bass and the melodic interplay between Elizabeth Stokes and Jonathan Pearce’s guitars, the song moves into a sweet chorus of harmonies. At the same time, Stokes asks, “How does it feel?/To be an expert in a dying field?/And how do you know?/It’s over when you can’t let go?” before bursting into an exuberant finish that counteracts the melancholy subject matter of the end of a relationship.

This formula has worked wonderfully for The Beths since releasing their debut album Future Me Hates Me in 2018 and its equally great follow-up, Jump Rope Gazers. Like their fellow Kiwis Yumi Zouma, these two records have allowed for a significant following in New Zealand and a dedicated fanbase here stateside. Expert in a Dying Field should change this as The Beths dig deeper into memorable riffs and a breezy production effort from Pearce.

The infectious singles at the front half of the record continue with “Knees Deep,” its confessional refrain, and “Silence Is Golden,” possibly the most uptempo number in The Beths’ catalog that tickles on the edge of punk. Thanks to Tristan Deck’s driving drum work and Pearce’s shambolic guitar solo, it’s equally as great as the title track. “Your Side” is an airy number that fits in perfectly with shorter days and would sound right at home on last year’s Mini Trees debut.

The Beths find themselves in an evergrowing and overcrowded bedroom pop scene that has yielded lesser returns for the last few years, according to yours truly (I keep things friendly around here, but if you know me, you have a pretty good idea of who I’m talking about). The problem with the genre as of late is falling victim to filling records with forgettable lulls, but none of this idea is found on Expert in a Dying Field. Sure, things stay comfortably mid-tempo, but the hooks are memorable and The Beths’ energy is infectious. Mid-album numbers like “Head in the Clouds,” “Best Left,” and “Change in the Weather” work at their own comfortable pace but are pure sugar for those that love some classic indie rock. And maybe it’s the Crash Test Dummies album I’ve been spinning in my car all week, but “When You Know You Know” and “A Passing Rain” would fit nicely on a 1994 mixtape.

Future Me Hates Me was one of my most played albums in 2018, and with Expert in a Dying Field, The Beths cement their place as one of the more reliable indie acts of the past five years. Hopefully, the deserved global buzz will follow.

Expert in a Dying Field is available now on Carpark Records.

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Hear songs from Expert in a Dying Field and so much more on the Good Ass Songs 2022 playlist!