Harpist, composer, and sound artist Shelley Burgon has contributed to a slew of recordings ranging from art-pop to the avant-garde, but on July 25, she releases her debut solo album The In Between. It consists of one continuous piece spread across four sides of 180gram vinyl, the records cut at 45rpm and released by Thin Wrist Recordings. The music, which consists of Burgon alone, is unmistakably created with an acoustic harp, although Burgon prefers space to the more florid outpourings that have long been associated with the instrument. That’s not to suggest there is a lack of gorgeousness in store for the listener as the composition unfolds. It is an altogether brilliant and unpredictable work.
Shelley Burgon studied at Mills College with teachers that included Pauline Oliveros, Fred Frith, Alvin Curran, and Maryanne Amacher; she received an MFA in electronic music and has subsequently played and recorded with Bjork, Elysian Fields, Trevor Dunn, Anthony Braxton, John Zorn, Butch Morris, Joan LaBarbara, and Christian Marclay.
Burgon was also a member of the band Stars Like Fleas and its pared-down offshoot Family Dynamics, who released Service in October 2023 as a limited edition LP through the Whatever’s Clever label, with copies still available exclusively on Bandcamp. On the album, Burgon contributes vocals, acoustic and baritone electric guitar, keyboard, and sound design in addition to harp.
In February 2025, Burgon’s recordings with guitarist Fred Frith were compiled on the CD The Life and Behavior by Relative Pitch. The music dates back to a pair of sessions, the earliest from 2002 and the second from 2005. Burgon has recorded extensively with Dunn and Braxton, but her first solo piece, “LOVEHER,” was released in 2013 by the In Context label as a 33 1/3 rpm single-sided lathe cut 10-inch in an edition of 25 copies.
As stated above, The In Between is a true solo recording, although the opening section does feature the sound of chirping birds. It is a considerably spare beginning; the intensity of Burgon’s playing gradually increases, but the number of string plucks doesn’t, at least not until the second section ushers in pulsing and flowing cascades.
As the piece grows, Burgon deftly alternates between flowing and minimal approaches; silence is a key ingredient and close attention is rewarded. Late in the third section, the circularity of the playing is especially exquisite, but the music greatly benefits from engagement with the composition as a whole. Burgon deserves high praise for The In Between.
GRADED ON A CURVE:
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