Ladies and gentlemen, Nathan Wiley.

With an impressive new debut album Bottom Dollar in one hand, and a recent win in CBC Radio's "Definitely Not The Opera's "Big Break" contest, the Summerside, P.E.I., native's run out of dives to play on the East Coast.

Now, it's Ontario's turn. Wiley opens for Sarah Slean at Barrymore's Friday.

The latest product of Halifax's amazingly fertile music scene, Wiley's a musical conglomeration. Part Steve Earle electric bluesman, with a penchant for wordplay worthy of Tom Waits, it's sexy, smart music without any unnecessary frills.

"I grew up listening to everything under the sun," Wiley explains from his Halifax studio.

"Jazz, blues, alternative and roots, I love smart pop like Waits and Nick Lowe."

A couple of years ago, he entered CBC Radio's "Big Break" talent scout contest "on a whim." Wiley, 25, beat out 100 other entrants to win the whole shebang, and shot to pop prominence on the East Coast.

AN ENIGMA

But in the rest of Canada, Wiley remained an enigma, that is until Bottom Dollar was released last May.

"I often write about odd things that not many people think about," says Wiley. "I have no choice. Writing songs is like therapy for me. Half the time, I don't even know what it means until years later."

This tour of Ontario, which also covers Peterborough, Toronto, Hamilton and Guelph, is his first solo tour west of New Brunswick.

He's finding life on the pop highway to be a daunting experience, stressful but ultimately fun. A songwriter at heart, the road makes for interesting stories, some that find their way into his songs. "They're always brewing," he confides.

"I try to keep everything low-key. It makes the music stand out more."