The Beths, one of our favorite bands from New Zealand, are back with a jangly new single called “Metal.” It is the quartet’s first new music on the famed indie label Anti- Records, home to beloved songwriters like Waxahatchee, Neko Case, and Tom Waits.
While the new track breezes by over its four-plus minutes, repeated listens reveal deeper meaning. Lead singer Elizabeth Stokes chronicles her recent focus on increased mental and physical health, citing that as a chief influence on the song. “In some ways, ‘Metal’ is a song about being alive and existing in a human body,” Stokes explains.
The band’s new full-length album, Straight Line Was a Lie, is scheduled to be released on August 29 via Anti-, and they will tour the U.S. in the fall with a stop at Brooklyn Paramount on December 5. To get a sense of their great live show, check out their 2019 session for WFUV featuring “Not Running” and “Uptown Girl” (no, not that one!).
WFUV Discovery is a new music recommendation from Russ Borris, music director at WFUV (90.7 FM, wfuv.org), Fordham’s public media station.
