By Colin 
Beth McKenzie is ready to make her return with not one but two brand new singles, arriving on 26 September as part of the deluxe edition of her acclaimed debut EP Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman?. The Stockport-born artist has built a reputation for fearless songwriting, and this next chapter sees her diving even deeper into the honesty and vulnerability that have already made her one of the UK’s most exciting new voices.
The new tracks, ‘Catching The Next Train’ and ‘My Skeleton Mocks Me’, round out the deluxe reissue of an EP that first turned heads last year. Almost twelve months on, Beth has evolved as both a songwriter and performer. Fresh from her successful UK ‘Wishful Thinking Tour’ alongside Chloe Charlotte and Holly Nicholson, she has carried the momentum of those shows into the studio, channelling the energy of her live performances into songs that feel both immediate and timeless.
‘Catching The Next Train’ – the courage to leave
The first of the new tracks, ‘Catching The Next Train’, is a dreamy and poignant exploration of a relationship quietly fading away. Rather than focusing on conflict, Beth captures the subtler but equally painful process of realising when love has slipped away. “Sometimes the fallout of a relationship isn’t screaming and shouting,” she explains, “sometimes it’s a more subtle breakdown, and the hard part is actually admitting that there’s a problem.”
It is a theme that will resonate with anyone who has tried to ignore the inevitable for the sake of comfort. Through warm melodies and articulate lyricism, Beth presents the difficult truth that sometimes the bravest act is to walk away. The production elevates her vocals beautifully, with a shimmering backdrop that makes the chorus soar. Most striking of all is the hook – instantly memorable and impossible to shake, it underlines Beth’s ability to write pop that is both relatable and infectious.
‘My Skeleton Mocks Me’ – raw emotion uncovered
If the first track is Beth’s cinematic breakup song, then ‘My Skeleton Mocks Me’ is her most unflinching work yet. Stripped back and intimate, it was written in quiet late-night moments and carries the weight of experiences that linger long after the fact.
Beth shares: “‘My Skeleton Mocks Me’ is about how trauma is stored in the body and how difficult it can be to just exist, let alone function, in a body that has such uncomfortable memories and feelings stored in it.” It is a raw meditation on the ways the past can shape the present, often against our will, and the need to process rather than suppress painful memories.
The track itself is haunting in its simplicity. Free from heavy production, it allows Beth’s voice to take full focus. Each word is heavy with meaning, her vocal performance both fragile and resilient. It is the kind of song that stops you in your tracks, drawing you into its atmosphere and refusing to let go.
Review
These two singles highlight Beth McKenzie’s strength as both a sharp pop writer and an artist unafraid of exposing her most vulnerable side. ‘Catching The Next Train’ comes with a hook that lingers, wrapped in rich indie-pop production that strikes the right balance between polish and raw emotion. It is heartfelt yet accessible, the kind of track built for endless replays.
‘My Skeleton Mocks Me’, in contrast, is Beth at her most stripped-back and personal. With its sparse arrangement, every word and note rests on her vocal delivery, which lands with both fragility and power. The result is a song that is devastating in its honesty yet deeply cathartic to hear.
Together, the two tracks show her range: one bright and melodic, the other intimate and haunting. Both reinforce her talent for storytelling and her ability to connect in a way that feels immediate and lasting. The deluxe edition of Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman? underlines why Beth is one of the UK’s most compelling new voices, with these additions only strengthening her upward momentum.
For those who first discovered her through the breakout queer anthem ‘Don’t Tell My Boyfriend’, these singles make it clear that Beth is constantly evolving, pushing herself further, and writing with the honesty that continues to set her apart.
You can follow Beth McKenzie over on Instagram. You can pre-save the deluxe edition of ‘Does This Make Me A Bitter Woman’ here.