By Marie-Elena Schembri
Sacramento, clear your calendar for a mid-week injection of fresh, infectious pop-rock energy. The Beths, New Zealand’s acclaimed indie outfit, are bringing their signature brand of bouncy, brooding and undeniably catchy pop-rock to Ace of Spades on Wednesday, Nov. 12.
Playing songs from their new album, “Straight Line was a Lie,” with singer-songwriter Elizabeth Stokes at the helm, The Beths return to the Capitol with an all-new setlist that includes a synthesis of upbeat bangers and introspective numbers delivered with driving beats, jangly riffs and power-pop moments infused with Stokes’ deceptively sweet voice.
Infused with the feeling of an SSRI haze, the feeling of returning to your feet after a too-long slumber, and a sprinkle of hope tempered by staunch realism, “Straight Line was a Lie” is all about juxtapositions and the way that life meanders from the so-called path we set out for ourselves.
Stokes said the album “feels like it was written in the middle of a journey,” and that’s because it was. Stokes was in the midst of climbing out of a “deep hole of anxiety and depression exacerbated by physical health,” and just beginning to see light on the horizon while realizing the journey was far from over. Songs like “No Joy” capture the frustration at being in the middle — not happy, not sad — and the relentless, driving beat of the song mirrors that feeling. With an upbeat, Go-Go’s-inspired sound, the song is a danceable departure from some of the more contemplative tracks on the record.
Written on a typewriter during a reverse “writer’s retreat” of sorts, where instead of escaping to the woods to write in isolation, Stokes immersed herself in the energetic core of LA’s music scene for a month and let the songs flow. The result is a journey through very relatable feelings, with a throughline of hope that, while life is not always a straight line, you’re still getting somewhere.
“It’s not like a punishment — that’s what life is,” Stokes said. The new songs capture that feeling of acceptance without neglecting the raw emotions that are part of the journey.
The band, made up of Stokes and guitarist Jonathan Pearce, bassist Benjamin Sinclair and drummer Tristan Deck, is just returning from a lengthy European tour and the energy is high. “We’re feeling good,” Stokes said, adding that the Sacramento show is a full-band show and promising, “It’s a good time.” For tickets and tour dates, visit www.thebeths.com.
This story is part of the Solving Sacramento journalism collaborative. This story was funded by the City of Sacramento’s Arts and Creative Economy Journalism Grant to Solving Sacramento. Following our journalism code of ethics, the city had no editorial influence over this story. Our partners include California Groundbreakers, Capital Public Radio, Hmong Daily News, Outword, Russian America Media, Sacramento Business Journal, Sacramento News & Review and Sacramento Observer. Sign up for our “Sac Art Pulse” newsletter here.
