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Agnes Obel On World Cafe

Agnes Obel's latest album is called <em>Citizen Of Glass</em>.
Alex Brüel Flagstad
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Courtesy of the artist
Agnes Obel's latest album is called Citizen Of Glass.

Danish songwriter Agnes Obel's session might give you the shivers for more than one reason. Her latest album, Citizen Of Glass, was named for a pretty eerie concept. "I got the idea from the German term gläserner mensch, which is the term you use when an individual in a state has lost all his or her privacy," she says.

If you think that's unsettling, wait until you hear Obel's army of strings and crunchy harmonies, not to mention lyrics that explore guilt, love and the green monster of envy. It's compelling, a little unnerving and entirely beautiful. Hear the complete session in the player above.

Copyright 2017 XPN

Talia Schlanger hosts World Cafe, which is distributed by NPR and produced by WXPN, the public radio service of the University of Pennsylvania. She got her start in broadcasting at the CBC, Canada's national public broadcaster. She hosted CBC Radio 2 Weekend Mornings on radio and was the on-camera host for two seasons of the television series CBC Music: Backstage, as well as several prime-time music TV specials for CBC, including the Quietest Concert Ever: On Fundy's Ocean Floor. Schlanger also guest hosted various flagship shows on CBC Radio One, including As It Happens, Day 6 and Because News. Schlanger also won a Canadian Screen Award as a producer for CBC Music Presents: The Beetle Roadtrip Sessions, a cross-country rock 'n' roll road trip.