With his first stab at a solo project Wayne Petti sticks you right through the heart. Known for his work as lead singer and principal song-writer for Canada’s alt-country favourites Cuff The Duke, and keyboardist/vocalist for The Hylozoists; Wayne Petti offers his brilliant solo debut City Lights Align.

With songs that are highlighted with whistling, hand claps, and a swaggering group of singers reserved for the best of live shows, City Lights Align resounds on first listen with it’s portrayal of a young man’s self-discovery. The album was recorded with producer and The Hylozoists’ band mate Paul Aucoin.

Petti comments, “Working with Paul is always great. He's very easy going and he works fast. I wanted the record to be recorded quickly. I didn't want to spend a lot of time over analyzing things. I wanted the album to have little background noises and little imperfections. I wanted it to be as natural as possible. I think I've captured that.”

The album echoes Cuff The Duke’s unique blend of country and folk with a more personal and stripped down edge. The warmth of “Moment By Moment”, the honesty of “Here Is My Heart” and the contemplative “I Wait” conjure comparisons to influences like Hank Williams, Bob Dylan, Nick Drake and John Lennon.

With his tales of young love, tough turns between dumb luck and total loss, you get an idea of what it would be like to sit back and listen to Wayne Petti live.

“I play in a band already and playing solo is a great challenge for me. My approach to playing solo is totally different from my approach to play in Cuff the Duke. Although, if there's a band on the same bill as me I hope they're willing to join me for a song or two. That would be fun.”