Nestling comfortably within the DIY end of the underground music spectrum, Canadian R&B producer/performer Daniel Caesar (real name Ashton Simmonds) has steadily built a sizable online following without ever signing for a record label. "Case Study 01" is the Toronto artist's second self-released album (the first, "Freudian", dropped in 2017) and sees him offer up another set of slick blends of hip-hop, R&B and modern soul. His status as a rising star is emphasized by the presence of Pharrell (yes, the Pharrell) on the superb, Neptunes-produced "Frontal Love Muzik" and the appearance of Brandy on superb duet "Love Again". It all adds up to a pleasingly emotive, well-produced set of songs that impresses from start to finish.