Expert in a Dying Field
2022 studio album by the Beths
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Expert in a Dying Field is the third studio album by New Zealand indie rock band the Beths. It was released on 16 September 2022 by Carpark Records. The cover art features a haku (kingfish).[2]
| Expert in a Dying Field | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 16 September 2022 | |||
| Recorded | 2021–February 2022[1] | |||
| Length | 44:59 | |||
| Label | Carpark | |||
| The Beths chronology | ||||
| ||||
A deluxe edition was released in 2023, featuring 3 demos, 2 acoustic versions, and 2 previously stand-alone singles.[3]
Critical reception
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 7.9/10[4] |
| Metacritic | 83/100[5] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [6] |
| The Daily Telegraph | [7] |
| Exclaim! | 8/10[8] |
| The Line of Best Fit | 8/10[9] |
| Loud and Quiet | 7/10[10] |
| Mojo | [11] |
| NME | [12] |
| Pitchfork | 8/10[13] |
| The Skinny | [14] |
| Slant Magazine |  [15] |
Expert in a Dying Field received acclaim from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 83 based on 15 reviews.[5]
Jonathan Wright with God Is in the TV states "It appears to be in the band's DNA that they can keep creating this brand of addictive indie pop songs that all feel like essential additions to their already strong back catalogue."[16] Laura Snapes, for Pitchfork, asserts that the album is "brimming with smart power-pop that brings to mind the casual virtuosity of '90s Aimee Mann and the bonhomie and euphoria of Superchunk and Fountains of Wayne."[17] Poetic Justice Magazine concluded that Expert in a Dying Field is "an impressive and engaging record".[18]
| Publication | List | Rank | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|
| BrooklynVegan | Indie Basement: Top 40 Albums of 2022 | 14 | [19] |
| BrooklynVegan | Top 50 Albums of 2022 | 29 | [20] |
| The Forty-Five | The Best Albums of 2022 | 23 | [21] |
| Impose | The Top 50 Albums of 2022 | Unranked | [22] |
| Magnet | Top 25 Albums of 2022 | 12 | [23] |
| ourculture | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 24 | [24] |
| Paste | The Best Albums of 2022 | 14 | [25] |
| Pitchfork | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 47 | [26] |
| Pitchfork | The 38 Best Rock Albums of 2022 | Unranked | [27] |
| PopMatters | The 25 Best Indie Rock Albums of 2022 | 10 | [28] |
| The Ringer | The 33 Best Albums of 2022 | 13 | [29] |
| Rolling Stone | The 100 Best Albums of 2022 | 67 | [30] |
| Slant | The 50 Best Albums of 2022 | 22 | [31] |
| Stereogum | The 50 Best Albums 2022 | 7 | [32] |
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Expert in a Dying Field" | 4:11 |
| 2. | "Knees Deep" | 3:39 |
| 3. | "Silence Is Golden" | 2:56 |
| 4. | "Your Side" | 4:41 |
| 5. | "I Want to Listen" | 2:12 |
| 6. | "Head in the Clouds" | 4:01 |
| 7. | "Best Left" | 3:58 |
| 8. | "Change in the Weather" | 3:42 |
| 9. | "When You Know You Know" | 4:08 |
| 10. | "A Passing Rain" | 3:15 |
| 11. | "I Told You That I Was Afraid" | 3:21 |
| 12. | "2am" | 4:49 |
| Total length: | 44:59 | |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 13. | "I Told You I was Afraid" (acoustic) | 3:11 |
| 14. | "When You Know You Know" (acoustic) | 4:03 |
| 15. | "A Real Thing" | 3:34 |
| 16. | "Watching the Credits" | 3:15 |
| 17. | "Keep the Distance" (demo) | 4:08 |
| 18. | "Expert in a Dying Field" (demo) | 4:09 |
| 19. | "I Want to Listen" (demo) | 2:59 |
| 20. | "2am" (demo) | 3:41 |