Charlotte Day Wilson debutes with “CDW”

Toronto-based soul-pop singer Charlotte Day Wilson is a psychologist for your blood pressure.

Her lead single is about persevering through a crummy relationship. Another is about betrayal. And of course, the last is about being alone. Whatever the problem, Wilson has the vision and skill to imbue the most trying of moments with a calm and considered beauty.

Released on August 26, her not-quite-eponymous EP CDW is music from a wanderer. It opens with “Work”, a lustful yet weary track about the difficulty that goes into building a strong relationship. It’s a downer-topic often avoided in music. Who wants to talk about love’s tedious middle when you could discuss the more dramatic beginning or end? But with Wilson, the subject becomes a testament to hope and perseverance.

“Where Do You Go” is perhaps the most pop-ish track of the bunch. With its groovy undercurrents and its crafting of silence, it’s an irresistible song. The subject matter – betrayal – isn’t so rare, though Wilson’s lack of blame is. This could have less to do with a saintly temperament than the speechless dizziness that follows any betrayal. The muted trumpets seem just as lost as her in figuring out the situation.

The EP opens and closes with brief songs that are supposed to set the mood of the six tracks. But “On Your Own” and “Reprise” nearly tip into New Age and seem better suited for a yoga session in a non-denominational church. The EP would benefit from clearing the underbrush. Despite this, it’s a cohesive and memorable take on the vagaries of love.

Count on a sinuous voice and soulful synths throughout CDW to keep your head nodding through the most stressful of times.