Wolf Castle’s new record begins in shadow, during a dark night of the Mi’kmaq rapper’s soul. Over the album’s 12 tracks, he traces the moon as it makes its way across the sky, unraveling his own personal anxieties in the darkness, coming to terms with growing up, paying tribute to the place and people who shaped him, putting bigots in their place, speaking up for those who have trouble speaking up for themselves, and forging a path forward. Fuelled by Wolf’s signature cerebral, breakneck flow, powerful beats, and hooks that nod to classic R&B and ‘90s hip-hop hits, Waiting for the Dawn isn’t a coming-of-age story. It’s about figuring out how to live when you get there.

In contrast to the youthful braggadocio of Wolf’s 2021 EP Da Vinci’s Inquest, Waiting for the Dawn finds the Canadian artist fully grown, investigating his place in the world and how to take care of the people around him.