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- Summary: The fourth full-length studio release from New Zealand indie rock band The Beths was inspired by Drive-By Truckers, The Go-Go's, Olivia Rodrigo, filmmaker Akira Kurosawa, and Stephen King's On Writing.
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- Record Label: Anti
- Genre(s): Pop/Rock, Alternative/Indie Rock
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Score distribution:
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Positive: 11 out of 14
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Mixed: 3 out of 14
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Negative: 0 out of 14
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Aug 28, 2025Far more than anything that’s come before from The Beths, Straight Line is a headphones album, reveling in layers of instrumentation and sonic tinkering that reward close listening.
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Aug 28, 2025Despite its frequently overcast tone, Straight Line Was a Lie is, in typical Beths fashion, dependably catchy and sweetly harmonic.
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Sep 11, 2025The Beths are bigger, better and more complicated than they’ve ever been. This is the record to beat from now on.
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Sep 3, 2025The band’s tight, canny songwriting is so winsome on most of the album that weaker tracks, or trite phrases like “I’ll always be addicted to your energy” on the otherwise charming “Roundabout,” momentarily break the spell.
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UncutAug 26, 2025Engaging New Zealanders The Beths masterfully marry muscle and vulnerability here. [Sep 2025, p.28]
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Aug 26, 2025[Elisabeth] Stokes’s songs have always been witty and self-aware, personal but relatable, and the lyrics on Straight Line Was a Lie offer even deeper, more vulnerable insights into her psyche.
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Classic Rock MagazineSep 17, 2025A collection of songs so sugar-coated it should probably have been packaged with insulin. [Oct 2025, p.72]