The Beths release Straight Line Was A Lie ahead of Manchester gig

The Beths share new album Straight Line Was A Lie

The Beths have released their fourth studio album Straight Line Was A Lie, their first on ANTI-. The record explores themes of cyclical growth and resilience, with Elizabeth Stokes reflecting on mental health, family relationships and creative renewal.

The new album lands ahead of a UK tour which includes a Manchester gig at the Albert Hall. The Manchester gig is one of nine UK dates they have scheduled.

The album features recent singles No Joy, Mother, Pray For Me and Metal. No Joy captures anhedonia with sharp, guitar-driven hooks. Mother, Pray For Me pares things back to stripped acoustic guitar and organ as Stokes reflects on her mother’s faith and their relationship. Metal adds urgency with layered guitars and insistent percussion.

Stokes explained the album’s central idea: “Linear progression is an illusion. What life really is is maintenance. But you can find meaning in the maintenance.”

For the first time, the band deconstructed their usual writing process. Stokes adopted a stream-of-consciousness method, drawing inspiration from books such as Stephen King’s On Writing and immersing herself in typewritten daily routines. The result is a more vulnerable and open collection that has already drawn critical praise.

The release follows their acclaimed 2022 album Expert In A Dying Field, which topped year-end lists and cemented their reputation as one of indie’s most inventive voices.