Skydiggers- "An Apology" (Latent):  After a career now spanning 30-plus years, these Toronto roots-rockers remain a vital and valuable unit. Skydiggers’ ninth studio album, Warmth of the Sun, will be released on October 20, and a label press release described it as "a plea for compassion, honesty, healing, and reckoning with the truth."

That is confirmed by a new advance track from the record, "An Apology." Singer/co-founder Andy Maize explains that the idea for the song dates back to early days. “I started fooling around with it on one of my writing retreats at the Banff Centre, raising the key to make it a little more plaintive.

"In the recording, we added a solo and another bridge to try to get it to the two-minute mark. It’s nice to be able to reach back to older songs that for one reason or another never fell into place. Anything we have written is always there somewhere. Songs sometimes tell you when they are ready. They're never gone.”

We're glad this one has been given life, as it is a sweet and concise tune that once more illustrates the emotional eloquence of Maize's instantly identifiable voice. Chiming guitar and vocal harmonies provide a fitting framework.

The 12-track album was recorded by longtime creative comrade Michael Timmins (Cowboy Junkies), with his signature clarity. Interestingly enough, this will be the first Skydiggers album ever released on vinyl, surely a natural format for the group's warm and intimate sound.

Skydiggers begin a national tour at Winnipeg's WECC on Nov. 15, closing out with their now-traditional holiday shows at Toronto's Horseshoe Tavern on Dec. 22 and 23. Here's the itinerary