The fourth album from Bay Area’s Sarah Bethe Nelson delivers a fresh new batch of laid back indie tracks with witty lyrics and a sound she has become synonymous with. It has the introspection that one would expect from an album recorded in a living room during a pandemic, while studio doors remained locked. A highlight is ‘Can’t Catch a Break’, a track that is simultaneously fun and far too close to home, presenting the all-too-relatable feeling of not being able to catch a break through lyrics like “I paid for salvation but the preacher conned me.” It’s this straddling of self deprecation and emotional vulnerability that makes ‘Mental Picture’ an interesting listen. LT

Out now on Speakeasy Studios