William Fitzsimmons -Gold In The Shadow

Mon 13th Jun, 2011 in Music Reviews

That voice whispering from the speakers, it sounds familiar, but is it just another collection of soft, modern folk music? Something I passed by months or years ago and it is making another presence in my playlist? No, it is the latest collection of moody and dreamy songs by William Fitzsimmons from the USA. His first two records centred around divorce, his parent’s and his own, this one mellow record appears to have moved to a different field.

The Tide Pulls From The Moon blends a haunting pedal steel with a mix of vocals from William and Grace Read and guitars and piano and this gives you a taste of the mood most of this record will sit within. William and Josh Kaler provide most of the instrumentation and the intimacy of Beautiful Girl and Tied To Me play to your ears like someone speaking in hushed tones in a dream. Not expected (but it works), is a duet with Julia Stone on Let You Break.

William Fitzsimmons looks out at you from this CD sleeve with his brooding eyes and a beard that could hide a pigeon or six. He may look a tad troubled, but the thoughtful and meditative tunes don’t convey that. This is music to relax with and your layer of involvement will vary each time, but there is some gold.