Wolf Castle’s fourth album is grounded in his community and family and lifted up by a newfound perspective and understanding of his place in the world. It feels less like a coming-of-age record, and more like the musings of someone who has finally learned how to express who he is and what he stands for. Rather than youthful naivety, Waiting for the Dawn is an album of self-assuredness and a realistic sense of optimism.
The New Brunswick rapper draws influence from 90s hip-hop; on the opening track “Da Air,” a song about fighting to have your voice heard and being unwilling to back down. Wolf Castle’s (real name Tristan Grant) voice is laid over horns, strings, and dreamy keys, paired with a classic ’90s-style beat.
On “I Won’t Stop,” Grant sings about the complicated nature of life; he admits that he sometimes prefers to just get out of his head and forget about his past, but that ultimately he is reaching for hope more than escapism.
Community plays a central role in Grants’s life. He lost his grandfather shortly before he started writing the album which made him realize the importance of family. On the penultimate track, “Never Letting Go,” he sings about the things that make his family imperfect, his absent father and his brother’s schizophrenia, but says that he loves his family all the more for these things; he has made it in life because of his strong sense of community and family, despite a challenging upbringing. The final song, “Hey Ya Hey (Sewell St. Song),” is a softer, more introspective final word on this need for community. A chorus of voices swells over an acoustic guitar, singing “hey ya hey ya,” creating a warmth, exuding togetherness in the final moments of the record.
Wolf has shown his strength of character and confidence in his voice throughout this record. His lyrics are complimented by a cohesive blend of hip-hop and R&B instrumentals, which take you to harder, more bashful places and then slowly bring you back to a place of comfort. It is a great display of the multifacetedness of the artist and shows that he feels connected to who he is, where he comes from, and where he is headed.
