- Ella Mastroianni, Staff Writer
An Ode To Iron
Iron-deficient babes, this one’s for you! “Metal” by The Beths was released on April 28, as the quartet’s first release in almost two years—and the first single for their new album! The producer of “Metal” is The Beths’ guitarist Jonathan Pearce, who has produced for them since their inception about a decade ago. These New Zealand indie rockers have three albums out in the world so far (Future Me Hates Me, Jump Rope Gazers, and Expert in a Dying Field), and their fourth one is titled Straight Line Was A Lie. Ironically, “Metal” is the fourth track on this fourth album, which’ll be released on August 29. Coincidence that it was released first? I don’t think so!
“Metal” is an instantly cheery-sounding song, with bright guitar and a snappy snare drum accompaniment. The jangly groove solidifies when another guitar and bass come in, setting the scene for the next four and a half minutes. “So you need the metal in your blood to keep you alive,” is the first lyric sung by vocalist Elizabeth Stokes. While it may seem that this line is meant to be a tongue-in-cheek statement at first, its frequency throughout the song reiterates it as a down-to-earth observation—one that is crucial to understanding the song.
This song is a series of observations. Specifically, observations about the body that are approached in an exploratory and gratitude-filled way. My favorite line that exemplifies this is “So you wear the colour in your cheek, the proof of the strive.” This song strips potential shame (of being pink-cheeked, in this case) and flips it into something to be proud of. Various bodily functions are viewed with appreciation, and this had my mind whirring about how often bodies are prodded at without compassion, either by ourselves or others.
“Metal” is unique in that it creates a space for listeners to take a kinder stance toward themselves, by being thankful for the unseen things that make life possible, like the “compass in your eyes” (cryptochrome) and the “furnace in your chest” (heart). This song invokes questions. How often are we showing gratitude to these parts of our bodies? How can we practice this gratitude more often?
The Beths’ Best
“I have a hunger and a curiosity for learning about the world around me, and for learning about myself,” Stokes says, confirming the exploratory energy that fuels “Metal.” “Despite all the ways that my body feels like a broken machine, I still marvel at the complexity of such a machine.” This comment is beautifully reflected in the chorus of the song, which includes my favorite lyrics that The Beths have ever written: “And I know I’m a collaboration / Bacteria, carbon and light / A florid orchestration / A recipe of fortune and time.” I. Love. This. Chorus. I refuse to look at my body as anything other than a recipe of fortune and time. Why would I, when that statement is so tender and beautiful?
Nowhere does this song call anything good or bad, because it doesn’t deal in absolutes. Instead, it represents a journey to accepting the bodies we inhabit, with all the uncertainty. However, one thing I’m certain about is how closely this song reflects some jangly tracks from the ’90s. I’ve been focusing on the lyrics, but this song is truly a treat for the ears. The layered vocals evoke songs by The Sundays, such as “Hideous Towns” or “I Kicked a Boy,” and the instrumentals resemble The Cranberries, Sinéad O’Connor, and Sixpence None The Richer.
On YouTube, there are two videos to supplement your listening of “Metal.” First is the music video, in which the band members trek through the woods in blue raincoats holding colorful buckets. They collect leaves and (quite unexpectedly) kitchen utensils to make bouquet-adjacent bundles. There’s a slingshot involved, too, if that piques your interest.
In addition to the music video is a really cute video of The Beths making the song, which takes viewers into the studio to witness the creation and recording of the harmonies.
Up Next for The Beths
After indulging in “Metal” and The Beths’ most recent single, “No Joy,” it’s clear that Straight Line Was A Lie is going to be an album that’s pretty… metal (in the “cool” sense, not the already discussed one). It seems that Bostonians have already predicted this because The Beths announced that they’d be hitting the Royale this December, and the show sold out! Luckily, they announced a second night. The Beths will be at the Royale on December 1st and 2nd, and if you’re “Not Running” to get tickets by now, I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll be making bouquets of kitchen utensils in anticipation.
