William Fitzsimmons: Solsbury Hill

A long while back, I’d make it a point to scour the “New Releases” section every week – a habit that’s fallen by the wayside.

Recently, I was looking for new music and saw that William Fitzsimmons had a new album. More than that, it looked to be a collection of covers (with more to come, it seems).

I’m a bit surprised I haven’t yet posted anything by Fitzsimmons on the blog. He’s not someone I really got deeply into, but I was quite taken with his album Gold in the Shadow. His voice is incredibly soothing, and listening to him sing evokes a sense of ease and comfort.

I was quite taken with his covers – and Solsbury Hill in particular. I know a fairly generic amount about Peter Gabriel and his work, but definitely know this song. And it’s one I haven’t heard in a long while.

Of course for reference, here’s the original.

While there’s no replacing the original, I do very much like Fitzsimmons’ cover. I think it’s fair to say I tend to like covers that take a slower, more subdued take on the originals. I think the slower versions tend to let you focus a bit more on the lyrics, as you’re likely already familiar with the melodies.

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