The Beths
When you think of New Zealand, you probably just think about the Lord of the Rings movies. God help you if you think about the Hobbit movies. How did Peter Jackson turn that one not particularly large book into three films? That's not relevant at the moment, though, because this is a music website. Speaking of New Zealand music, maybe you think about Flight of the Conchords. That's fine, because they are funny and delightful. There is a lot more culture in New Zealand, though, including on the music front. If you want just one small sample, check out the new song from The Beths, "Future Me Hates Me."
Elizabeth Stokes of The Beths
The Beths are a quartet with a pop-punk flavor, which puts them within what I am starting to see as a trend. Pop-punk is having a moment, I think. Did you listen to Lisa Prank's Adult Teen from a couple years ago? It was amazing. Charly Bliss has a pop-punk vibe. Sum 41 didn't kill the genre, mercifully. We just had to get some talented people involved.
Admittedly, I had not heard anything by The Beths before "Future Me Hates Me." I didn't hear about their 2016 debut EP Warm Blood, and this new song is the title track for an album of the same name coming out this summer. This is going to be the introduction to The Beths for a lot of people. Fortunately, "Future Me Hates Me" will probably get some of them hooked. I know it has me excited.
This is going to be the introduction to The Beths for a lot of people. Fortunately, "Future Me Hates Me" will probably get some of them hooked.
Perhaps owing to her accent, frontwoman Elizabeth Stokes reminds me of Courtney Barnett. Sorry if that comparison sparks furor along the Australia/New Zealand divide. The accent charms and sounds pleasant over the jangly guitar. Of course, the poppiness of the song belies the content. Shockingly, a song called "Future Me Hates Me" isn't the most uplifting thing in the world, not to say the song is a bummer. It's complicated. Hopefully the rest of the album will also be complicated, and also sound this good.
