Where’s Beth – Meat (2022)
Despite being only one year old (more or less), the US-based trio Where’s Beth is already turning heads with their unique sound. In fact, they are so captivating they are receiving coverage from international blogs, placed on numerous playlists, and even signed by independent record label Pitch & Prose. Described by Pitch & Prose as having “idiosyncratic artistry that reminds us of Joni Mitchell…”, Where’s Beth brings old-school folk sounds to a modern-day audience. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘Meat’.
Following their debut single ‘Come Inside’, Where’s Beth adopts an eclectic indie-folk sound in ‘Meat’. Yes, there is a strong reminiscence to Joni Mitchell with Sarabeth Weszely’s obscure vocal execution. An almost gruff, but still soothing and flowing vocal melds effortlessly with the dynamic guitar and drums arrangement. The interesting thing is while ‘Meat’ opens with the typical toe-tapping old-school folk sounds, there is an eclectic movement highlighting Where’s Beth’s uniqueness. The crescendo into bold pounding drums, interspersed piano and powerful guitars bring a soul-stirring quality to the song, only to transition back to the softer, slower and gentle tune. An acoustic-inspired track, Where’s Beth finds the delicate line between synthetic and organic in ‘Meat’.
Yes, the melody can cause your soul to soar across a kaleidoscopic soundscape, but it is the lyricism that makes the journey more profound. Penned in early 2020, ‘Meat’ is a “…quirky yet shockingly sincere anthem to relationships in times of isolation…written in the bedroom of Sarabeth’s now-husband (drummer Jesse Thorson) after a painful conflict in which she was confronted with the choice between unlimited personal “freedom” and the companionship she craved.”
Written only a few weeks before the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic, it seems amusing that ‘Meat’ expresses the experiences most people would undergo in the following two years – isolation, depression and inner conflict. Sincere and sentimental, genuine and tender, ‘Meat’ explores human fragility and vulnerability in an elegant, sophisticated way.
For more from Where’s Beth check out their Facebook, Instagram and Spotify.
