Pilgrims Paradise

On *Pilgrim’s Paradise*, Daniel Caesar proves he can’t be pigeonholed. He croons softly over the blues bottom of “Death & Taxes,” sings amid Southern soul tones on “Show No Regret,” then tries to choose between love and a career as Badbadnotgood set an epic orchestral soul arrangement on “Paradise.” What ties these songs together is the Toronto songwriter’s quest for purpose as he grows into a man, like on “Little Rowboat,” whose sound narrows to a spare acoustic guitar as he questions his faith and wonders what will happen next.

Daniel Caesar's new seven-song project is a masterpiece of an EP. Pilgrim's Paradise picks up from where Caesar left off on last year's magn...