Fitzsimmons lulls listener with latest folk album

William Fitzsimmons has that glorious, fantastical kind of background we want from folk singers. Gold In The Shadow

William Fitzsimmons

Nettwerk Records

Rocks like: Sufjan Stevens, Denison Witmer, Andrew Bird

Grade: B+

William Fitzsimmons has that glorious, fantastical kind of background we want from folk singers.

He was taught a love of music by blind parents who wanted to connect with a seeing child. He spent several years as a therapist to people with mental illnesses. He wrote his third CD as an apology to his ex-wife. Oh, and he sports a bald and bearded look that rivals that of Shel Silverstein.

His most recent album Gold In The Shadow has just the sort of soft, poetic sincerity to match. The whole album has a lulling quality — songs don’t particularly grab the listener, but rather wash over them.

The first song, “The Tide Pulls From the Moon,” trickles through the speakers as mesmerizing guitar rifts, followed by Fitzsimmons’ gentle singing. “So like your father in the face and blood / Terrified and cold / And whispers / The coming of a cleansing flood for you,” he sings.

It’s an example of the poetic and sometimes emotionally devastating lyrics throughout the album. Fitzsimmons’ has said this latest release was much inspired by personal turmoil, and that comes through in the melancholy singing.

Perhaps one of the most striking songs is “Psychasthenia.” The title is the name of a disorder characterized by irrational compulsions and phobias. It’s fitting, as the musician claims inspiration from specific disorders in the “Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV” — the psychiatric handbook.

Starting with a pattering of percussion that continues as a steady foundation for the song, an electric guitar echoes distantly, occasionally strumming wavering, distorted notes.

In juxtaposition to the repetitive and calculated music is Fitzsimmons’ tender vocals, harmonized by airy female singing. “Cut me open, please,” they cry together in a heartbreaking chorus.

Immediately afterward, the album moves into “Bird of Winter Prey,” which showcases Fitzsimmon’s ability to stack components and build a song. Starting with traditional folksy guitars, the music moves to incorporate a sweeping string section as the song builds with the singer’s voice remaining steadfast and calm.

Much like Sufjan Stevens, Fitzsimmons rarely pushes or raises his vocals above a soothing whisper. But in the song “Let You Break,” he features Julia Stone, who adds some vocal dramatics to complement Fitzsimmon’s lullaby sound. Her slightly raspy voice has a more varied range and adds spice to a song that would be lacking without her.

The two go back and forth in sweetly conversational style reminiscent of The Weepies throughout the simplistic tune. It’s apparent that without Stone’s additions, the somewhat monotonous guitars and flute would drag quite a bit.

There are some songs that require trudging through later on the record. “Tied To Me,” for example, is very slow, starting with a meandering guitar that doesn’t do enough to aid Fitzsimmons’ singing. Even when the banjo and flute start, it seems as though they’re going in slow motion, waiting for a build-up that isn’t quite enough to warrant the pace.

Despite a few snags, the album is calm and pleasant. It’s perhaps best suited for a prolonged winter rather than spring.

Fitzsimmons will play in Pittsburgh on April 5 at Brillobox — www.brillobox.net