Some records do more than ask for your attention; they sit down right next to you, hand you a tissue, and wait for you to stop pretending everything is fine. Light Bird's debut album 'See Her' is exactly that kind of record. Released a few years after singer and songwriter Danni Hoshino came out as a trans woman, this eleven-track collection hits like a late-night...

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...