Get chills at Cold Specks’s haunting hometown show

The Etobicoke-born singer-songwriter Cold Specks was barely in her 20s when she first caught the attention of producers with a set of innovative early demos. Before long, she was collaborating with Swans and Moby, touring the world with pop paragon St. Vincent and local folk rockers Great Lake Swimmers, and headlining her own shows. She specializes in what she calls “doom soul,” a brand of dark, brooding gospel-meets-goth music steeped in the legacy of Tom Waits; check out the single “Absisto” from her latest album, Neuroplasticity, for a taste of her commanding alto, evocative lyrics and brooding instrumentation. Her live shows are haunting and intimate, blending a cappella ballads and band-backed anthems. See for yourself when Spx returns to Toronto’s Lee’s Palace this weekend.

Sun. Dec. 7. $15. Lee’s Palace, 529 Bloor St. W., 416-532-1598, leespalace.com.