Alpha (Charlotte Day Wilson album)
{{Infobox album
| name = Alpha
| type = studio
| artist = Charlotte Day Wilson
| cover = Alpha (Charlotte Day Wilson album).jpg
| alt = A closeup, black-and-white photograph of the artist's face, staring directly into the camera with a serious look, with the word "Alpha" written in pink bubble letters on top.
| released = July 9, 2021
| recorded =
| genre =
| length = 33:12
| label = Stone Woman
| producer = {{hlist|Charlotte Day Wilson|Thomas Brenneck|D'Mile|Sir Dylan|Jack Ro}}
| prev_title = Stone Woman
| prev_year = 2018
| next_title = Cyan Blue
| next_year = 2024
| misc = {{Singles
| name = Alpha
| type = studio
| single1 = Take Care of You
| single1date = August 13, 2020
| single2 = If I Could
| single2date = May 20, 2021
| single3 = Keep Moving
| single3date = June 11, 2021
}}
}}
Alpha (stylized in all caps) is the debut studio album by Canadian singer/songwriter Charlotte Day Wilson, released on July 9, 2021, via her independent imprint Stone Woman Music.
The album was preceded by three singles: "Take Care of You" featuring Los Angeles singer/producer Syd was released August 13, 2020 with the non-album b-side "Summertime",{{Cite web|last=Johnson|first=Patrick|date=2020-08-13|title=Charlotte Day Wilson Premieres Two New Singles|url=https://hypebeast.com/2020/8/charlotte-day-wilson-new-songs-summertime-take-care-of-you-featuring-syd|access-date=2021-07-13|website=HYPEBEAST}} while follow-up singles "If I Could"{{Cite web|last=Brimstin|first=Chelsea|date=2021-05-20|title=Watch: Charlotte Day Wilson releases video for new track 'If I Could,' announced debut album 'Alpha'|url=https://indie88.com/watch-charlotte-day-wilson-releases-video-for-new-track-if-i-could-announced-debut-album-alpha/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=Indie88|language=en-US}} and "Keep Moving"{{Cite web|last=McInnes|first=Laura|date=12 June 2021|title=Charlotte Day Wilson shares lush new single and video, 'Keep Moving'|url=https://sniffers.co.nz/article/38269-2|access-date=2021-07-13|website=sniffers.co.nz}} were released May 20 and June 11, 2021, respectively.
Background
After a decade in the music industry, Alpha is Wilson's first full-length album. The album is preceded by three EPs, the latter two which are commercially available.{{Cite web|title=Charlotte Day Wilson: Alpha|url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/charlotte-day-wilson-alpha/|access-date=2021-07-13|website=Pitchfork|language=en}} Like her previous work, all of her tracks are written, produced, and released by Wilson and employ collaborations with fellow Toronto-based artists. This included frequent collaborators BadBadNotGood and Daniel Caesar as well as Mustafa and singer Merna Bishouty.
Release and reception
{{Album ratings
| title = Alpha
| rev1 = Clash
| rev2 = Pitchfork
| rev3 = The Line of Best Fit
}}
Announced in May 2021, the album was released on July 9, 2021, by Wilson and distributed by The Orchard.{{Cite web|author=Allie Gregory|date=May 20, 2021|title=Charlotte Day Wilson Announces Debut Album 'Alpha'|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/charlotte_day_wilson_announces_debut_album_alpha|website=Exclaim!|language=en-ca}}
Alpha received favorable reviews from contemporary music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 79, based on 4 reviews.
Reviewers were particularly complimentary of her voice on the album. At Pitchfork, reviewer Dan Van Nguyen noted, "A sense of spiritual power defines much of Alpha... the body of the artist with the bourbon-soaked lounge-singer shimmer now sounds inhabited by the spirit of a transcendent preacher... yet Day Wilson funnels the evangelism into a focus on the self, always looking inward." Chris Taylor at The Line of Best Fit said, "There's no denying the talent on display across the album. Wilson's voice is a singular one; all at once offering heartache, confusion, hope and growth... Wilson's harmonies take on an almost choral quality where they had once been a whisper."{{Cite web|title=Alpha is Charlotte Day Wilson masterfully honing her craft|url=https://www.thelineofbestfit.com/reviews/albums/charlotte-day-wilson-alpha-album-review|access-date=2021-07-13|website=The Line of Best Fit|language=en}}
The album was shortlisted for the 2022 Polaris Music Prize.{{Cite news |last=Assaly |first=Richie |date=July 14, 2022 |title=Six take-aways from the 2022 Polaris Prize Short List |url=https://www.thestar.com/entertainment/music/six-take-aways-from-the-2022-polaris-prize-short-list/article_be3bc5c2-ab43-54e8-970a-9b2e1ba9fafb.html |access-date=March 15, 2024 |work=Toronto Star}}
The song "Adam Complex" was selected by the Academy of Canadian Cinema and Television to soundtrack the "In Memoriam" segment at the 10th Canadian Screen Awards in 2022.{{cn|date=March 2024}}
Track listing
Adapted from TIDAL.{{Cite web|date=2021|title=Credits / ALPHA / Charlotte Day Wilson|url=https://listen.tidal.com/album/183153721/credits|access-date=2021-07-13|website=listen.tidal.com|language=en}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Alpha track listing
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title1 = Strangers
| writer1 = {{hlist|Charlotte Day Wilson}}
| extra1 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| length1 = 2:06
| title2 = I Can Only Whisper
| note2 = featuring BadBadNotGood
| writer2 = {{hlist|Wilson|BadBadNotGood {{hlist|Chester Hansen|Alex Sowinski|Leland Whitty}}|Dylan Wiggins|Jack Rochon|Matthew Tavares|Teo Halm}}
| extra2 = {{hlist|Wilson|Tommy Brenneck}}
| length2 = 2:45
| title3 = If I Could
| writer3 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon|Merna Bishouty}}
| extra3 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| length3 = 3:03
| title4 = Lovesick Utopia
| writer4 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| extra4 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| length4 = 2:55
| title5 = Mountains
| writer5 = {{hlist|Wilson|Brandon Banks|Dernst Emile II|Kenneth Edmonds|Kyle Moscovitch|Marcus Reddick|Michael Gordon|Teo Halm|Varren Wade}}
| extra5 = {{hlist|Wilson|D'Mile|Teo Halm}}
| length5 = 4:09
| title6 = Danny's Interlude
| note6 = featuring Daniel Caesar
| writer6 = {{hlist|Wilson|Caesar}}
| extra6 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| length6 = 0:35
| title7 = Changes
| writer7 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| extra7 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| length7 = 2:59
| title8 = Take Care of You
| note8 = featuring Syd
| writer8 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon|Bishouty|Sydney Bennett}}
| extra8 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| length8 = 3:34
| title9 = Keep Moving
| writer9 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon|Mustafa}}
| extra9 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| length9 = 4:39
| title10 = Wish It Was Easy
| writer10 = {{hlist|Wilson|Wiggins|Sharon, Lois & Bram}}
| extra10 = {{hlist|Wilson|Wiggins}}
| length10 = 3:12
| title11 = Adam Complex
| writer11 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| extra11 = {{hlist|Wilson}}
| length11 = 3:16
| total_length = 33:12
}}
{{Track listing
| headline = Alpha (Deluxe)
| extra_column = Producer(s)
| title12 = Even Is the Lie
| writer12 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| extra12 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| length12 = 4:06
| title13 = Take Care of You - Remix
| note13 = featuring King Princess, Amaarae & Meshell Ndegeocello
| writer13 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon|Bishouty|Ama Serwah Genfi|Meshell Ndegeocello|Mikaela Straus}}
| extra13 = {{hlist|Wilson|Rochon}}
| length13 = 3:34
| total_length = 40:53
}}
References
External links
- [https://charlottedaywilson.bandcamp.com/album/alpha Alpha on Bandcamp]
- [https://soundcloud.com/charlottedaywilson/sets/alpha-948832815 Alpha on Soundcloud]