Charlotte Day Wilson

After flooring me earlier this year with her vocal performance on the Badbadnotgood track “In Your Eyes,” Charlotte Day Wilson continues to amaze as a vocalist and producer. Five of six  tracks are self-produced on her self-initialed CDW EP this month. The Canadian singer shines just as bright over Badbadnotgood’s traditional jazz instrumentals as she does over her own mellow, barren R&B beats, further establishing Toronto as an ever-growing hub of serene R&B talent.

But Wilson paves her own lane. She’s not The Weeknd, or PARTYNEXTDOOR, and she grounds herself and her music with dignified solemnity. You won’t hear these tracks bursting from your neighbor’s next house-party. These are odes of introspection and lost love that reflect on the state of her life as it stands now, and where she sees herself growing in the future. She weaves her vocals expertly through each track, choosing just the right moments to be powerful and forward with her voice before ripping herself back, falling into an almost whisper-soft uncertainty that is both haunting and heartbreaking.

There are no odes to cocaine, nothing quite as poppy as a “Can’t Feel My Face,” and you’re not left yearning for it. There’s more than enough substance in the lyrics and production to fuel a night of self-reflection. For the 23-year-old Wilson, this is only the beginning, a very impressive first chapter of a remarkably talented young singer and songwriter’s career.»

– Tyler Sanford

*Charlotte Day Wilson opens for Local Natives  Sept. 19 at Crystal Ballroom. Tickets here.