Album Review

William Fitzsimmons – Gold In The Shadow

• 17th Mar 2011

William Fitzsimmons has produced a beautiful, delicate folk album, with a theme of healing. Unlike his earlier, much darker albums, this time there is a more hopeful feeling as he deals with his own personal demons through song. And there are a number of excellent tracks that are entertaining as well as always thought provoking.

The album opens in fine style with Fitzsimmons’ new single The Tide Pulls From The Moon. Delicate guitars back a warm voice that drips with emotion. This lovely track also features the multi-instrumentalist on piano and in the background is an understated female harmony.

Beautiful Girl takes the healing theme and weaves it into a soft folk song, while The Winter From Her Leaving has a whole host of instruments playing subtly, including a gentle accordion that complements the almost whispered lyrics.

Meanwhile, Fade and Then Return is more upbeat, instrumentally at least, although the vocals continue in the same delicate vein, repeating the title as the music fades.

Psychasthenia has a disturbing edge, with its repeated plea: cut me open please. Fitzsimmons is a therapist who has worked with the mentally ill and has had his own issues too. Yet there is something redeeming in the tone of his guitar. The name is an old medical term for a psychiatric disorder akin to obsessive compulsive disorder.

Let You Break is a lovely duet. The track was originally recorded featuring the vocals of American singer/ songwriter Leigh Nash, but was then re-recorded with Julia Stone for the UK release. Both versions work well, but the newer recording is stronger and more emotionally charged to my ears.

What Hold features a huskier vocal style over some great guitar picking as introduction, before the pace picks up slightly in a track that develops into a duet where a gentle female voice (possibly Leigh Nash?) entwines itself with Fitzsimmons’.

The album closes with near title track Gold In Shadow. There is a dreamlike quality to this haunting love song, which perhaps alludes to finding something special in the midst of the darkness.

Fitzsimmons is a gifted songwriter who uses vivid imagery in his lyrics rather than storytelling, while also weaving stunning melodies with his delicate finger picking on the guitar.

This album features excellent arrangement and production, ensuring that the many layers of instrumentation that he uses at times do not take away from the lyrical focus of the work. It is perhaps Fitzsimmons’ best work to date.