Enjoy the View

The first time I remember being in New York City was in spring 1985. I had many memorable first impressions of the city, but one experience that stayed with me was Battery Park. There, the city suddenly opens up to the sea, offering a sweeping view of Brooklyn, Governors Island, Staten Island, New Jersey, and the Statue of Liberty. Battery Park was also prominently featured later that year in the movie Desperately Seeking Susan, which emphasized that this spot represents New York City at its most grand.

When we later lived downtown in the 2000s, we often visited the park, but the farther we moved away, the less frequently we could get there. So it was a big disappointment to see the park mostly turned into a construction site when we moved back last year. There is a good reason for this work – to make the waterfront resilient against storm surges – but it removes one of the neighborhood’s biggest attractions.

But the worst is over! Two weeks ago, Robert F. Wagner Park, west of Battery Park, reopened. It is a beautiful small park, with lawns, wooden terraces with plenty of seating, and, of course, a fantastic view. We liked it so much that we spent two afternoons there last weekend. To get a taste of it, check out the photos below.

Shoegaze

Last Friday, Wisp from San Francisco released her debut album If Not Winter, a beautiful take on a classic genre: shoegaze. This kind of music is easy to recognize with its massive, layered guitar textures and washed-out vocals low in the mix. But where does it come from?

Elke and I first heard the term ‘shoegaze’ in the early 2010s. I can't remember the exact details, but the New York band Dead Leaf Echo, which we saw live opening for Chapterhouse, and the now-defunct Guardian Music podcast probably played a role. And of course, the word itself sparks curiosity.

It turns out that the term ‘shoegaze’ was coined in the early 1990s. Its exact origin is contested, but it refers to the way many shoegaze guitarists would perform while looking down at their array of effect pedals. A more abstract interpretation suggests that shoegaze is less about performance and audience interaction, and more about immersing oneself in the act of creating sound. Needless to say, this approach wasn’t appreciated by everyone.

Five Songs

Listen to glamglare favorites on Spotify, Apple Music, or below on YouTube.

The late 80s and early 90s were the heyday of shoegaze rock. This week’s five songs present classics and one band that heavily influenced the genre.

• “When You Sleep” is a track on one of the defining albums of shoegaze, 1991’s Loveless by My Bloody Valentine. Myth and mystery linger around its two-year recording saga and the uncompromising creative force behind it.
• Curiously, the 90s shoegaze bands tend to have multiple singers, like Slowdive with Neil Halstead and Rachel Goswell. “Alison” is from their 1993 album Souvlaki.
• I remember the buzz when Ride reunited in 2014 and played some shows in NYC. They released their last album in 2024, their seventh since their first record in 1990, Nowhere, which features “Vapour Trail.”
• Lush was fronted by two female singer/guitarists, Miki Berenyi and Emma Anderson, which brought a different angle to the genre. “Sweetness and Light” is the title track of their 1990 EP.
• “Sugar Hiccup” by Cocteau Twins came out almost a decade before shoegaze manifested itself. However, the band’s music was highly influential on all of the above, including Wisp.

Song Pick of the Day

Listen to/watch all seven songs on YouTube. Follow our daily updated playlists on YouTube, Apple Music, or Spotify for the 50 latest Song Pick of the Day features, or subscribe here to receive them in your mailbox in real-time. Thank you for following us and sharing the excitement.

• "Pretty When I Cry" is the second ever single by Australian singer-songwriter Aleia  about "the desperation of clinging to the belief someone has your best interests at heart when they don’t."
• The Berlin-based band Golden Apes releases a sequel, "Stranger (When I Left),” to a 25-year-old goth rock song.
• "The experience unlocked something for me," says Jane Inc. about her car accident, and made a groovy retro-disco dance track „elastic“ about it.
• "Wait Around" is an acknowledgment that love alone is often not enough. With his new song, the Canadian indie rocker Nick Faye wants to remind you "to be open, ready, and patient for new love that may fit into the lifestyle you’re trying to lead."
• The San Francisco shoegazer Wisp releases her debut album If Not Winter. She says: "It's a vulnerable reflection of my most inner thoughts and memories i wanted to eternize." The latest single, "Black Swan,” also comes with a ghostly video.
• "Talk Me Down" is the shape-shifting, shimmering lead single of Emily Yacina new album.
• The Norwegian dream-pop artist  Yndling returns with a gorgeous new single, "Fences."

Nine Photos of an Afternoon at Wagner Park

Finally! We can once again enjoy the sweeping vistas of Lower Manhattan! From here, the view stretches across the open sea to Brooklyn, Governors Island, Staten Island, the Statue of Liberty, and New Jersey. The redesign by the Lower Manhattan Coastal Resiliency Project is truly commendable. Tiered wooden terraces offer a calm, inviting space to sit and take it all in. Or spread out a blanket on the expansive lawn and enjoy a picnic. Here’s to many more relaxing afternoons in New York’s newest outdoor haven!