“I don’t wanna waste my time,” Aysanabee declares at the start of Here and Now, and he certainly practices what he preaches. Arriving shortly after his debut album, Watin, got shortlisted for the 2023 Polaris Music Prize, Here and Now is perfectly timed to extend the Toronto Oji-Cree singer-songwriter’s moment in the national spotlight. While the EP doesn’t share its predecessor’s overarching family-history narrative framework, tracks like “Alone” offer welcome reminders of the soul-searching songcraft, sonorous vocal delivery, and gospel-inspired rapture that made Watin such a critical success. But true to its title, Here and Now is also a barometer of Aysanabee’s ongoing evolution: “Waste My Time” rides a fiercely funky groove that amplifies the urgency of its clock-ticking lyrics, while “The Giver” sees him reach for U2 levels of anthemic grandeur.