Sarah Slean - Day One

There’s a pixie quality to this pint-sized Toronto singer. But don’t take Slean lightly. Her fourth full-length album is a sophisticated mélange of dark cabaret tunes and bright, piano-laced pop. The opening “Pilgrim” features buzzing orchestral strings, while the dream-like “When Another Midnight” shifts from syncopated groove to operatic chorus. “I’m spreading love like a terrorist now,” Slean sings on the title track, reflecting the album’s joyful tone and sense of possibility even as it alludes to these unsettling times.