Straight Line Was a Lie
by The Beths
- Type: Album
- Released: 29 August 2025
- Label: Anti-
- Country: New Zealand
- Length: 43:37
- Community rating: 3.41/5 from 16 ratings
Artists on this release: Elizabeth Stokes, Jonathan Pearce, Tristan Deck, Benjamin Sinclair
Album Notes & Community Reviews
On 'Straight Line Was a Lie', the band explores themes of non-linear progress and finding meaning in maintenance, moving toward a cleaner pop-rock production that diverges from their earlier, fuzzier garage-rock tones. Vocalist and songwriter Elizabeth Stokes pens her most lyrically complex and personal material, examining anxiety and relationships with unflinching depth against a backdrop of intelligent, catchy power-pop. The album's sound is marked by a blend of soaring indie-pop melodies, intricate guitar work, and moments of new wave and dream-pop influence, capturing the effervescent energy of their live performances while adding a new layer of emotional depth.
Genres
Descriptors: melodic, jangly, infectious, guitar-driven, punchy
Tracklist
- Straight Line Was A Lie (04:04)
- Mosquitoes (04:43)
- No Joy (03:17)
- Metal (04:43)
- Mother, Pray For Me (04:50)
- Til My Heart Stops (04:14)
- Take (03:56)
- Roundabout (04:23)
- Ark Of The Covenant (04:22)
- Best Laid Plans (05:05)
Credits
- Elizabeth Stokes - guitar, vocals, writing
- Jonathan Pearce - guitar, production, engineering, mixing (except tracks 5 and 10)
- Benjamin Sinclair - bass guitar
- Tristan Deck - drums and cymbals
- Michael Howell - production and engineering
- Bevan Smith - mixing
- Joe Lambert - mastering
- Lily Paris West - artwork