Cautious Clay has been on the music scene for almost a decade after his debut single, 2017’s “Cold War,” came out, which ended up on his first full-length album, 2018’s Blood Type. A singer, producer and multi-instrumentalist—a virtuoso of guitar, bass, saxophone and flute—he’s also an accomplished songwriter and has made a name for himself penning music for Billie Eilish, John Mayer and Khalid, while earning co-signs from Taylor Swift, Issa Rae, and Jack Antonoff.

The Hours: Morning was released in May of this year to widespread acclaim. A genre-blending body of work, the eight-track album bounces from indie pop and soulful jazz, soft and smooth R&B, to hard rock and even punk. A personal record shaped by major life transitions, the album explores themes of presence, identity and slowing down against the pace of society through brilliant melodies and introspective storytelling. 

During his recent Toronto appearance, Clay told the crowd more about the concept for the album, and explained that being an artist is unique because it’s a job that doesn’t have a lot of structure; because of that, every hour of every day has a certain feeling for him, and each song on this album evokes a distinct mood, color and time of day.

An energetic force of neo-soul, Clay was joined on stage by three other musicians—lead guitar, bass and drums—and played to a packed house of eager fans, performing tracks like the slick and soulful “Tokyo Life (5am)”, toe-tapping indie pop tunes “Father Time (10 am)” and “Traffic (7 am),” and the seductive R&B ballad “Promises (9 am),” all off of The Hours: Morning. He included a few fan favourites from older releases too, like the hypnotic “Joshua Tree” and the lo-fi textured “Cold War” from Blood Type, and the upbeat “Dying in the Subtlety” and dreamy “Wildfire” from 2021’s Deadpan Love. He also treated the audience to a heartfelt cover of jazz singer Anita Baker’s 1986 song “Sweet Love,” a beautiful old school number that made you lull and sway in sync with the music. 

A masterful musician, Clay dazzled the crowd as he moved seamlessly from playing guitar, blasting out jazzy saxophone riffs, to soloing on the flute. The audience was in his grip as he travelled through his set, heightening and releasing tension throughout as the crowd danced to thick basslines, infectious rhythms and rapturing melodies. His vocals shone through the night too, soaring through his powerful falsetto and wrapping his lyrics with his rich and soulful tone. 

The concert kicked off with an opening performance by American artist Elujay, whose soul, R&B and funk sound primed the crowd for a feel-good evening of music. A mix of warm and hazy tones underscored with upbeat disco soul tracks and scaling vocals, the set had a strong retro vibe reminiscent of Stevie Wonder or Marvin Gaye.

Cautious Clay’s The Hours: Night, the follow-up album to The Hours: Morning, drops on October 24. Its feature single, “Fade Blue (11 pm)”, was released in August of this year and is available to listen to across all streaming platforms.    

Cover image: Cautious Clay at the Corona Theatre in Montreal by Monika Cefis

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From the beginning of the night the strong sense of community and appreciation was immediately palpable, and you recognize that you’re in a welcoming and accepting space.

The venue—which has been Wavelength’s home base for many years now—featured two rooms, a large main room on the first floor with a prominent stage typical of a traditional concert hall, and a basement that felt like more of an underground club scene. Attendees shuffled back and forth between floors between each act, which kept the momentum up as there was always someone on stage to watch.

The evening started with the ethereal vocals of Montreal-based Swedish composer, Erika Angell. A prolific producer and writer, Angell has released 16 albums and been featured on countless tracks by other artists. Her unique, trance-like vocals and beats set the stage for a fun evening of music.

After her set, the crowd headed downstairs to experience Toronto artist Jane Inc.’s signature funk, pop synth sound. She revved up the vibe with a set that took the audience through highs and lows, with a mix of mellow and upbeat danceable tunes. This was the first time I had heard of Jane Inc. but immediately looked her up on Spotify after the show and I suggest you do as well!

Third in the night’s lineup was the Montreal-based shoegaze band, Bodywash. A five-piece group with synths, guitars, keys and drums, they treated everyone to a bunch of fun synth-pop tunes before announcing that they were working on a rock album and played a few of their new harder-hitting songs, to the thrill of the crowd.

Then it was back downstairs to hear the ambient vocals and swift beats of UK-based, British Hong Kong artist, Mui Zyu, whose atmospheric and pulsating set was mesmerizing. Her voice, soft and pretty, fit perfectly with the galactic sounds of her guitar and synth. One of my favourite experiences of her set was when she sang a song in Cantonese, paying homage to her heritage and proving that great music spans across cultures and dialects.

Capping off the evening was Canadian multi-instrumentalist and composer, Owen Pallett. A musical genius in his own right, Pallett played a 90-minute set of his signature style, using a looping machine to layer the rhythmic plucks and singing strings of his violin overtop of a catchy guitar melody and soft vocals. You could tell he was the main reason everyone was there, and it was exciting to watch him use his musical ingenuity to create right in front of us.

Pairing art and music, each downstairs performance was accompanied by kaleidoscopic visuals and light projections by artist Anthony Piazza and General Chaos Visuals upstairs. A supernova of colour and shapes, they punctuated the music perfectly and provided a visual stimulus that complemented each act.

I’m disappointed to admit that this was my first time attending a Wavelength event, but it won’t be my last. With festivals and concerts happening year-round, it’s great that there’s an organization dedicated to showcasing the work of today’s more obscure artists, proving that there is a thriving underground music scene that is worthy of recognition and celebration.

Cover image by Green Yang

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A truly authentic artist who sings from the gut, Reyez stunned the crowd to silence many times with her hauntingly beautiful vocals and emotionally-wrought performance. A fusion of hip hop, reggae, R&B, soul, and Latin flavors, the night went from reverberating and syncopated basslines to touchingly personal, stage-side moments.

She kicked off the night with the aggressive, carnivalesque “Shutter Island” and sang the lyrics ‘my straightjacket’s custom made, though!’ with a thunderous intensity that carried into the rest of the night. Dressed mainly in an oversized t-shirt, shorts and sneakers with her signature half-up hairdo, she stomped across the stage with a playful authority that told the audience that, while her music can be deeply personal and hold a weighted message, she’s here to have a ton of fun!

She continued to rev up the crowd with explosive renditions of more tunes from her two EPs Being Human in Public and Kiddo, like “Gatekeeper,” “Fuck It,” and “Dear Yessie.”

But amidst all of this in-your-face intensity, Jessie didn’t shy away from sentimental, personal moments. Revealing a more vulnerable side, she gazed upon an ex-lover embracing another woman while singing the mournful “Cotton Candy,” and sits at the lip of the stage to sing a tender acoustic version of “Sola,” the only song of hers written in Spanish. I was even brought to the brink of tears when, as part of one of the dramatizations, a young mother screamed as three members of ICE ripped her child from her arms, leading into the heartbreaking R&B track with a political message, “Far Away.”

Jessie Reyez is an honest musician who knows how to create emotional levels through her live performance and delivered a truly special show This concert took me from extreme, adrenaline-pumping highs to touching, contemplative lows. Her full-length debut album is dropping in 2020, and I predict incredible things! A gifted songwriter and intuitive musician with a piercingly expressive voice that will wrench your soul, she is destined for greatness. I can’t wait to tell people, in five years when she blows up (if it takes that long), that I saw her in this cozy 1500-seat theatre, “way back when.”

Images by Drew Yorke for Red Bull Music Festival

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