Peter Katz

Canadian folk-pop troubadour Katz is a hardworking cat, averaging over 150 dates a year throughout North America and Europe. His warm voice and open emotions bring David Gray to mind, and it'd be no surprise if some of these songs notched airplay on soft rock stations. The presence of the Swell Season's Glen Hansard on the title track will help, while other guests include the Good Lovelies and Melissa McClelland. His lyrics and delivery occasionally threaten to become a little sugary and sentimental, but never quite slip into that trap. The choice of singer-songwriter peer Rob Szabo was a smart one, and the sonic quality is high. So is the calibre of the instrumentalists, including Joe Phillips, Adam Warner, Mike Olsen and Bryden Baird. And horns, cello and female harmony vocals add depth. "Oliver's Tune" is inspired by the late, great Oliver Schroer, while "The Fence" is a moving portrait of murdered gay student Matthew Shepard. Katz has operated somewhat under the commercial radar, but that deserves to change with this impressive effort.