New Zealand guitar-pop band THEBETHS solidify their status as experts in singalong anthems for the broken-hearted on new album 'Expert in a Dying Field'
“Love is learned over time, ’til you’re an expert in a dying field.” That’s the thesis statement presented in the title track of Auckland bandIt’s a thought that’s at once poignant, pessimistic and a little funny, which just about sums up the territory the guitar pop quartet work in. Plus, it’s a euphorically catchy song — and that’s what The Beths do best of all.Over the course of getting to know someone, you kind of learn who they are and why you love them.
But, she adds, “The record hopefully doesn’t sound melancholy. We wanna make something that really feels fun — ‘cause gosh, it would be nice to have some fun, wouldn’t it?”made the band New Zealand’s hottest indie export from the outset. They impressed outlets like Pitchfork andthey opened for bands like Pixies and Death Cab for Cutie, and Phoebe Bridgers declared herself a fan.
Whether it’s driving, intense moments like “Silence Is Golden” or “Knees Deep,” or sweeter, more laidback experiences like “Your Side” or “When You Know You Know,” these songs are some of The Beths’s best, showcasing an almost breathtaking gift for earworm melodies and singalong choruses. Stokes was focused on writing songs that felt instantly invigorating, she explains. “It’s a real intention.
“When we were kids, what was on pop radio was guitar music,” Stokes adds, citing bands like Green Day and Fall Out Boy. “I feel like I’m writing pop songs, but I have been in love since I was a kid with guitar music. To me it doesn’t feel alternative or alienating, it feels fun.”