Every Friday, the venerable music blog Pitchfork sends out a newsletter titled “X albums out today.” The number X is a lie - there are many more albums “out today” than just those that Pitchfork seems worthy of notice. And you can be sure that their list is very different from ours.

To be honest, we have been struggling with album coverage since the beginning of glamglare. While Elke and I love the album format, we cannot spend enough time with a record to do a thoughtful long-form review. Still, we would like to entice you to check out a few full-length records that we enjoyed lately.

Back to Pitchfork: in rare occurrences, they feature a record we have on our deck, too. Last Friday, this was the fourth full-length album What an enormous room by Brooklyn singer/songwriter Torres, out on Merge Records. We love how Mackenzie Scott keeps reinventing her music: this time, her primary instrument, the guitar, takes a backseat and lets electronic arrangements shine.

I talked about the debut album of Anne Wichmann, aka She’s Excited! already last week, but now Moments of Sonder is officially out. Anne enlisted a diverse cast of collaborators, which allowed her to play with genres and language effortlessly.

It is more than ten years ago that twigs – who had to add an “FKA” to her stage name later – appeared out of nowhere with ethereal vocals over improbably crafted beats. She has since then moved to more mainstream R&B, but if you miss – like me – her fearless production style, MILYMA is for you. She hails not from London or Berlin but from Basel, Switzerland, where she “appreciates the tranquillity and minimal distractions.” Her debut Only Lovers Left A Lie is out now.

After MILYMA’s electronic wizardry, you may be ready for something more cozy and timeless. Enter London singer/songwriter GODA: her debut EP Seasons includes six songs that transport you into an inner city jazz club.

The Italian singer & producer Lilian Traviato, who records as Princess Nostalgia, and I have been going back on and forth to find a song to fit in our glamglarepick playlist. I do like her over-the-top persona and production style, but her songs are often too much “out there” for our Song Pick Series. But by all means, check out her new three-song EP INANNA.

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Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube and Spotify for the 50 latest Song Picks of the Day. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

The London musician Matt Wright is done with being on the receiving end of heartbreak. “I want to be a heartbreaker,” he sings, which lead to a discussion between him and Elke, who argued that inflicting emotional pain on others may not be desirable either. Read the entire story in the post for “Heartbreaker.”

Elea Calvet is a singer/songwriter based in Bristol, England. Her new song, “In Sinous Ways,” is a poetic reflection about life. It starts like a chanson but moves on from there to unexpected places. “Raw, intimate and slightly foreboding, it sits in a space more intrinsic to my being than anything I have shared so far,” Elea says about the song.

Musicians Jen Wood and Ted Chen have been around for a while, busy with other projects. As GEMZ, they released the ethereal, electronic track “Younger.” Jen says about the collaboration: “Taking our time to grow this song was a beautiful process, and I really hope that people who hear it will truly enjoy the experience.”

January has passed, but it is not too late to introduce life improvements for 2024. Electronic pop singer/songwriter Mïrändä has a tip for you: “Put Down Your Phone.” If you have already heard this idea too often, wait until you get it delivered Mïrändä-style: she puts on a glittering firework with punchy lyrics that make you think twice.

For the UK singer/songwriter Dekker “Popped the Top” is a self-talk exercise. “I hope this song resonates with a lot of people because that’s always a trip and a useful way for music be BUT when I sit down to write, I’m usually doing it for me first,” he says. This perfectly crafted folk-pop track indeed resonates with us, and it will with you.

Next is the second cut of the above mentioned new GODA EP. “The Unknown” is her favorite, “quite experimental, with Jazz fusion spice,” as she describes it.

Finally, let London-based singer/songwriter Ella Tobin take you to the “Golden Hours,” those moments of the day when the waning sunlight turns the world into a magic place. “It’s an ode to the precious moments spent with your best friends where for a short while, it feels like time slows down and the world is a little lighter,” says Ella. This uplifting song is on her new EP, Favorite Place to Hide.

Nine Photos of Orchard Street at Night

I was walking down Orchard Street recently and was amazed at how much the area has transformed. It’s still gritty, with the same old buildings, but the iron gates in front of the windows are gone (we used to live in one of these tiny studios next to the Tenement Museum). These days, you find many outdoor dining options that became a means of survival during the height of the pandemic and are now just ‘cool.’ The neighborhood has quite a romantic feel, and if you’re up for some dining recommendations, here are three: Sticky Rice- our favorite Thai place in the city Casa Mezcal - delicious Mexican food Cafe Katja - Austrian cuisine, hearty, carb-heavy, and good.