Jacksonville, Illinois (by way of Pittsburgh) songwriter William Fitzsimmons has a promising new record, produced by Death Cab’s Chris Walla, due next month. Fitzsimmons — the kind of hushed tunesmith we’ve come to rely on to anchor a tribute set or carry the torch of Sam Beam, who’s moved toward open jazz forms of late — is taking a subtler, seamless step forward here from 2011’s Gold in the Shadow. Featuring Death Cab For Cutie’s Chris Walla as producer, our first taste of Lions finds him in familiar form, landing on the sweet spot between melancholic self-reflection and an upbeat rhythmic pulse. The record is out on February 18th; hear “Fortune” above.
