Adam Warner

Warner is a friendly folk singer from Toronto who performs a weekly gig at the Cameron House. His sophomore effort No Place to Lay showcases the soul of this T.O. tunesmith through some delicate skeletal songs. While the majority of this musical exploration veers towards the folk vein, Warner shakes things up a bit, and shows his varied influences on the hooting and hollering "Last Light,” which is more a two-plus minute gospel proclamation. Here the songsmith is accompanied by eight diverse voices, which he labels the Cloak and Dagger Gospel Choir. On "Old Cat Hollow,” Warner gets help from fellow Hogtown roots musician Justin Rutledge who strums banjo and provides harmony vocals. "Already Broken” is a tear-stained goodbye letter to a love lost backed by some lovely lap steel. One of the album’s high notes is "Old Ghosts,” a lo-fi number that focuses on Warner’s warm vocals coming to terms with and trying to get rid of old baggage that "have got the best of [him].” No Place to Lay is yet one more document that the roots rock scene in Toronto is a live and well.