The Beths - Less Than Thou

"Another evening alone."

Album: Future Me Hates Me [debut album]
Genre: Power Pop, Indie Rock, Surf Rock
Recorded: Auckland, New Zealand
Release: August 10th 2018
Length: 4:18
Producer: Jonathan Pearce
Vocalist: Elizabeth Stokes
Label: Carpark Records

Official Audio


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Charts, Streams & Sales

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Instruments

Bass, drums, guitar

Details

• The producer, Jonathan Pearce, is also the guitarist of The Beths. 
• The album was produced at Pearce's home studio.
• All of the band members attended the University of Auckland.
• The Beths take their name from lead singer Elizabeth Stokes. Beth is short for Elizabeth.
• The band make extensive use of vocal harmonies and overlapping guitars.
  
• In 'Less Than Thou', the singer is home alone waiting for the phone to ring and someone to ask her out.
  
  
• The album 'Future Me Hates Me' has an overall theme of being unhappy with oneself. On 'Less Than Thou', Elizabeth Stokes chastises herself as "a coward" because she waits for the phone to ring instead of making a call herself. The album cover shows a woman unable to look in the mirror, while her scolding reflection stares straight back at her as if to say "pull yourself together."
  
  
  However, the framing is optimistic as 'future' Beth is disgusted by her counterpart in the present, which indicates the singer perceives the future will be better than the past, and the present scolding is a painful but necessary step towards growth.
  

Artwork