The Beths write guitar pop that runs on nervous energy and real affection. Elizabeth Stokes picks at doubt the way some people worry a loose thread, turning over small betrayals and asking if anyone comes out clean. The arrangements stay bright even when the lyrics flinch. Jonathan Pearce's production keeps the guitars upfront and the rhythm section locked in tight, which makes sense given they wanted these songs to work in a room full of people. Some of it was tracked in a stairwell at one in the morning. You can hear the space.
This deluxe version adds eight tracks to the 2022 original: two standalone singles, a pair of acoustic takes, four demos and one previously unheard sketch. The demos show how much work went into the finished album without being redundant. The acoustic versions strip back the jangle and let Stokes' voice sit closer. If you already know the record the extras are worth having. If you don't, start with the main twelve and decide if you want more of the same approach in different shapes.
Most of it was recorded in Auckland before a lockdown split the band up for months. They finished mixing on tour in the States, then spent three days in Los Angeles getting it to match what they'd been hearing. It sounds like a band that knows what it does well and leans into it without fuss.
