Nov. 17th: The personal songs of William Fitzsimmons

Jason Gonulsen
Special to Metromix

With so many quality albums being released in 2008, singer-songwriter William Fitzsimmons often finds himself lost in the shuffle of potential greatness. But a more emotional album you will not find, as Fitzsimmons' latest disc, The Sparrow and the Crow, reveals itself through stories about regret, loss, and ultimately, newfound hope. The songs focus on Fitzsimmons' recent divorce, and while that might fool you to think he's using his music to complain about his hard luck, he's really just attempting to say one thing: I'm sorry.

Often compared to Sufjan Stevens or Iron and Wine, Fitzsimmons' hushed vocals and introspective lyrics remain his main weapons on The Sparrow and the Crow. Songs like "We Feel Alone" and "You Still Hurt Me" show us a man who only knows of one way to genuinely deliver his art, and that's to shed the cold truth. The whole album is quite a piece of work.

The good news for St. Louis is that Fitzsimmons will be performing these songs at a venue that fits his subdued style, the cozy and classy Lucas School House. If you've seen a show there, you'll know that it was made for a performance like this; acoustic guitars, keyboards and quiet vocals. He'll take the stage this Thursday, so come out for a night of serious music.

The Fox Theatre also gives us a great chance to catch Jason Mraz on Sunday. It's sold out, so if you don't already have a ticket, check in with Metromix next week for pictures of the show.

Five to Download for the Week of Nov. 17th:

"If You Would Come Back Home," William Fitzsimmons

The album's first "single" gives a good glimpse of what to expect from his live show at Lucas School House.

"Skinny Love," Bon Iver

You might have heard this one on the TV show "Chuck." Chances are you'll end up downloading the full album, For Emma, Forever Ago, one of my favorite releases of 2008.

"Punches," Collin Herring

This singer-songwriter from Texas delivers a beautiful tune off of his 2008 release, Past Life Crashing. Kathleen Edwards lends her voice for a dramatic effect.

"Go Easy," Ryan Adams and The Cardinals

Off the recent release Cardinology, Ryan Adams shows why he's no longer just a solo artist. He's got a great band now to help him flesh out his sound.

"Red River Shore," Bob Dylan

This unreleased track off of Time Out of Mind, which won a Grammy for album of the year 1998, finally surfaces on Dylan's latest Bootleg Series.