HEAR: Confessions of a Romance Novelist by The Anchoress
The debut LP from Welsh singer, songwriter and producer Catherine Anne Davies under her new musical moniker, The Anchoress, soberly presents romantic notions roiled by orchestral rock. Davies's serious songwriting is buoyed by catchy, playful turns of phrase and melodies, at once reminiscent of Kate Bush and Aimee Mann.

by Anderson .Paak
Like Kendrick Lamar, West Coast rapper Anderson .Paak mixes uniquely personal admissions with social commentary. Malibu, his second album, finds .Paak reflecting on single parents, success, R&B greats and his Californian heritage, with references to surf culture. It's an atmospheric album, sampling sounds from the artist's many preoccupations.

Not to Disappear by Daughter
British indie trio Daughter constructs an even more beautifully self-revealing second album while covering topics like Alzheimer's ("Doing the Right Thing"), apathy ("No Care") and sexual reproduction. Singer Elena Tonra's trademark confessional style is wrapped in her colleagues' complicated and comforting musical arrangements.

SHOP: Miu Miu Eau de Parfum
Just in time for spring, Miu Miu's first perfume blends lilies of the valley, Akigalawood®-a patchouli derivative-and jasmine together to form a spicy, fresh nosegay scent.

READ: The Defender: How the Legendary Black Newspaper Changed America by Ethan Michaeli
As much as possible, Michaeli admirably depicts our nation's racial history by tracing the legacy of this influential African American newspaper. From the Great Migration and Jim Crow South to the election of Barack Obama, The Defender wielded influence on decades of elections and featured writers like Langston Hughes, Ida B. Wells and Martin Luther King.

American Housewife by Helen Ellis
A collection of short stories about domestic life flitting to the dark side, Helen Ellis's book acts like a humorously tart response to the superficially perfect lives presented on social media. Ellis writes acerbic satire featuring neighborly duels, murder, kidnapping and reality television, narratives spun out of her hilarious Twitter account @WhatIDoAllDay.