Brahja Waldman's Quartet - "My Heart is a Real Thing". He keeps sending her love-notes on pages of paper. Why paper? she thinks. Why not on balloons, on cakes, on the sides of yachts? Every letter is the same thing - Dear ----, then ballpointed words, his signature. Nothing more than handsome phrases, sincerely written. No gold or silver; no cash value; not even a wax seal. Is this all he has?

Later, after she has broken his heart, he will again write her letters. He'll say he feels like shit, that he's angry and sad. And once more she'll wonder, Why paper? Why not on old maps? Dried flowers? Those cute vintage luggage tags they sell on etsy?

[Brahja Waldman's Quartet have released a modest, beautiful double record. This track is from part one, Cosmic Brahjas, cosmic like photons; listen to Waldman's squawks and Daniel Gélinas' solemn drums, Shadrach Hankoff's decelerating piano. Martin Heslop plays bass, though I'm not sure if he's on this number. / bandcamp]

J Cole ft Kendrick Lamar - "Forbidden Fruit". My girl spilled a bottle of perfume on the floor. Glass cut up my Nikes. I got down on my knees and sopped it up, lavender jasmine everywhere, blotting with paper towels, photo albums. [buy]

(photo by Dave Rutledge)