The Beths have announced a deluxe edition of their acclaimed 2022 album, Expert in a Dying Field.
Set for release in September, the deluxe edition features an acoustic rendition of album track “I Told You That I Was Afraid”, which is available to listen to now.
“I didn’t expect “I Told You That I Was Afraid” to be the song that worked best with just me and the acoustic guitar,” lead singer Elizabeth Stokes explains. “Its lyrics are mostly jokes about fears I have, but they are real fears. I hope that they hold up with the spotlight on them.”
Expert in a Dying Field (Deluxe) expands upon the Auckland band’s third album with three demos, two acoustic takes, and the inclusion of previously-shared one-off singles “A Real Thing” and “Watching the Credits”. The latter track was inspired by Stokes’ habit of learning everything about films without actually watching them, a perennial struggle in the digital age.
The upcoming deluxe edition is being pressed on blue-green marble vinyl (an Australia and New Zealand exclusive) and can be pre-ordered here.
The original version of Expert in a Dying Field was named in Rolling Stone AU/NZ‘s Best New Zealand Albums of 2022 list.
“Power-pop has had quite the banner year thanks to excellent US artists like Cheekface and Mo Troper, but no one came close to performing it better than The Beths,” our review praised. “The songs on Expert in a Dying Field burn with an infectious immediacy, particularly the stunning opening title track, and they locate irresistible melodies at a remarkable rate.
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“Underneath the uptempo energy, lead singer Liz Stokes’ sharply scrutinises modern relationships and post-breakup malaise better than most contemporary lyricists. Expert in a Dying Field is the album that cements Stokes and her tight-knit cohorts’ reputation as one of the best New Zealand bands of their generation.”
The Beths’ “I Told You That I Was Afraid” (Acoustic) is out now. Expert in a Dying Field (Deluxe) is out Friday, September 15th (pre-order here).
