The Beths

otm. And the poster at the link above is a fun illustration. Can't wait to hear the album!

I don't mind their artwork that much really. It did take me a while to find a t-shirt that I was happy to get though. I went with the blue rabbit design and I'm very pleased with it.

https://thebeths.merchtable.com/apparel/rabbit-baby-blue-t-shirt

they have a really uncanny grasp of the "90s used CD bin" aesthetic

That might explain it. I am the strange-guy-on-the-beach-with-the-metal-detector of bins full of used 90s CDs.

honestly i've barely glanced at their song/album art, i didn't mean to be overly judgmental. for me, i really don't care much at all about album artwork. i put it in the same level as track names - a particularly good or appropriate one might stand out to me, but a bad one doesn't make a difference either

i'm here for the *music* maaaan

also ordered their LPs from car park, thanks for the head's up kitchen person!

I've seen many worse album covers this year

a lot of them have the same rain-streaked melancholy as "Out of Sight".

i think that's the best song they've ever done by a fair way so i'm very excited

I didn't say it was bad it's just this and the last one look exactly like a band that got signed to EastWest in 97 and put out two unfairly overlooked power pop records

so basically exactly what would have happened to the Beths had they been around then

album rules and i think it's a bit better than the debut, adding some melancholy jangles to their sound goes a long way

I had tickets to a show they were supposed to play here in Cleveland back in April, and it got rescheduled for plague-related reasons to the end of September, so now it will be in support of all-new material. Which is nice!

"Jump Rope Gazers", the song, is more directly evocative of Sheryl Crow than anything on the Haim album!

This album fuckin rules. Best summer ever! (For music, I mean...)

did it leaked

I don't think so. People have been getting their vinyl copies shipped early.

it leaked

yeah it's out there

Oh right, cool. I'm excited to see more reactions in the next few days. Hopefully the reviews are positive too. I'm still so surprised at how much critics slept on the debut.

It's doing ok so far:

https://www.metacritic.com/music/jump-rope-gazers/the-beths

The energy, the tightness, the power pop..almost all gone:(
Disappointing on first listen.

I don't think that's true really, there's plenty of pep on about half the songs (the first two singles + "Acrid", "Don't Go Away", "Mars"), with the other half various shades of wistful

Yeah i liked the singles, that's why it's kind of a letdown for me.

Will give it more chances though, because she sure knows how to write melodies ao it might be a grower.

her vocals are really strong and polished now too, to the extent I could even see it turning off people who prefer the band scrappier

I really can see why people might be disappointed with the album initially as it is quite a change of pace for them with half the album being much gentler, but after a few listens it really hit me. Hoping that's the case for most people. The songwriting is still just crazy strong.

my only beef rn is the closer seems a little slight

is it just my files or is the mastering remarkably quiet?

it's noticeably quiet, yeah, but it doesn't appear to be any quieter than the previously released tracks or anything so i think that's just how it is, not any issue with the leak.

yeah, just an observation. it's neat! crank er up.

when are crying putting a new album out is what I want to know

Title track has the perfect sad ballad melody

i'm curious to hear these more sad/melancholy songs! i've only heard the singles so far

oh my god the title track

it is deliriously good

Should be a radio hit. Getting close to kitsch but not crossing the line thankfully.

In 1996, sure. I'm not sure I hear that song on the radio in 2020.

I do love the title track though... it's been stuck in my head today.

FINAL "home" youtube show in 49 minutes!

*"house"

*48

Entertaining fun - wish they did 'Out Of Sight.' Good on them for putting out a fine rekkid.

nz missive

https://thespinoff.co.nz/society/the-side-eye/10-07-2020/the-side-eye-in-the-studio-with-the-beths/

the album art is so upsetting

God, for some reason that aaba aaab panel cracked me UP

oh damn, this is out today?

The release show at the Powerstation last night was p.fun, though a bit nerve-wracking to be in such a tightly-packed crowd for the first time since lockdown. Title track of the new album worked really well live, "I'm Not Getting Excited" was a great set-opener, and for "Dying To Believe" they dragged out Rose Matafeo and local Green MP Chlöe Swarbrick. Opener Phoebe Rings was a jazz-school-y take on Stereolab/Cocteau Twins, and had the Beths' bassist Ben guest on clarinet for a track.

They were on Radio New Zealand's mixtape yesterday; hour-long show w/some interesting digressions.

https://www.rnz.co.nz/national/programmes/nat-music/audio/2018754435/the-mixtape-the-beths

Che Fu - "Misty Frequencies"
Ella Fitzgerald / Oscar Peterson - "Lush Life"
Death Cab For Cutie - "The Sound of Settling"
Anthonie Tonnon - "Water Underground"
Chelsea Jade - "Lowbrow"
Lomelda - "Interstate Vision"

At long last i figured it out: Title track sounds like Camera Obscura

Something is missing :(

I'm sad to see a fairly muted reaction to the new album in general but I had a feeling it was coming. It hasn't hit me the same way Future Me Hates Me did but that album is absolutely perfect. I still have a lot of love for this.

I think I like 'em about the same in different ways. They have surprisingly distinct ~vibes~

yeah they're about equal for me with the new one having higher highs but is maybe a little less consistent

Future Me Hates Me is definitely the better record but I do love the new one a lot, even if it feels like it suffers from awkward-second-album-syndrome at times

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_5uVLoiTVk

nice!

i've listened to the new one several times, and although i do think the debut was more consistent, there are still 4-5 songs on jump rope gazers that i like a bunch, and that's about on par with the debut as well. i think they're good at picking singles! but there are a couple others i also really like.

dying to believe
i'm not getting excited
mars, the god of war
out of sight
jump rope gazers

do you want me now
just shy of sure

you are a beam of light
acrid

don't go away