Cyan Blue

Charlotte Day Wilson

Released on 3/05/2024 by XL Recordings
Main artists: Charlotte Day Wilson
Genre: Soul

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When James Blake first heard Charlotte Day Wilson’s “Falling Apart”—which he subsequently interpolated for his own 2020 track “I Keep Calling”—he reportedly thought it was an old soul record. Indeed, Wilson’s totally unique voice doesn’t just sound like it’s from another time—sometimes she sounds like she’s from another planet. It’s the reason why Drake and John Mayer have also sampled her and artists including Local Natives, Daniel Caesar and BADBADNOTGOOD have sought her out for collaboration. But as much as her voice is the star of the show, Wilson and co-producer Jack Rochon aren't precious about it; they fearlessly manipulate, layer and add effects on this follow-up to her 2021 indie R&B debut Alpha.

"New Day" loops and echoes Wilson, who sounds particularly smoky next to fairy-tale jazz piano, until there’s a sense of sci-fi time travel. When the adornments lift and it's just Wilson on her own it’s somehow even more powerful. "Money" combines the warmth and brightness of live drums with crisp production and digitally tweaked backing vocals, as Wilson herself is like a pour of warm honey. It’s fascinating to hear her trading lines with fellow indie R&B artist Snoh Aalegra, who sounds crystalline next to Wilson's amber hues, on “Forever,” which is fueled with a helium-high sample of the Foundations' "Baby Now That I've Found You.” She’s brought in a slew of producer/songwriters, many of them in her Toronto scene, including River Tiber, as well as Amy Allen ("Pretty Isn't Pretty" by Olivia Rodrigo; "Adore You" by Harry Styles) and Leon Thomas (SZA, Ariana Grande). There are upbeat moments (optimistic "Do U Still"), soulful slow jams ("Kiss & Tell"), sultry R&B (“My Way,” “Dovetail”) and a majestic piano ballad—"I Don't Love You,” which is anchored by what sounds like a track played in reverse. Wilson has said it’s partly about wishing she could impart 20/20 hindsight onto her younger self, and she dishes out words that cut to the quick. "I don't love you anymore/ I don't need you,” she sings, not dispassionately but also with pragmatism. “It's more peaceful being heartbroken." An abbreviated cover of "Over the Rainbow" is atmospheric, with conversations going on in the background like in a park, and with Wilson’s voice like smoke swirling in the air. It’s a song that tends to encourage theatrics, but Wilson eschews flash—no run or trills needed to steal the show. © Shelly Ridenour/Qobuz

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Cyan Blue

Charlotte Day Wilson

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My Way