Burger Records have stayed unusually quiet so far this year. Sarah Bethe Nelson’s new, and third, longplayer is a big exception. Not that it’s a loud record – it features grown-up songwriting with sparse instrumentation. We don’t even hear much of the jangle sound of older material (like “Hazy” or “Out of My Reach”). Title track “Weird Glow” is the only Opal moment on this record. Still, it’s Nelson’s strongest to date. Mixing a lot of different influences into one melting pot, it’s an impressive amalgamation of US musical heritage from the past 70 years. I used to consider “Paying” from 2015 her best song by far, but with the 9-minute long “8th and Hooper” she’s recorded what’s probably the most heart-breaking song of 2019.
