Romance gets interesting when it stops posing for the camera. Morgan La Fae’s "Cigarettes And Coffee" puts that idea at the centre of a sweet, scruffy debut alert to the small habits that make couples hard to explain. The dream-pop single carries the pull of a fond memory while keeping one eyebrow raised at it. La Fae calls it a love song for people who...

Before the curtain rises, there is already a contract in place. The room has paid for magic, the performer has learned how to make exhaustion look like sparkle, and every seat carries its own appetite. The front row is the most dangerous place in that exchange because it mistakes closeness for knowledge. It sees the shine on the costume, the mouth forming a smile, the...