Annie Fitzgerald - In Good Time

Annie Fitzgerald - In Good Time
2010, Pin Curl Productions

Minnesota native and Brooklynite Annie Fitzgerald captivates audiences with her own brand of homespun Americana. A regular on the New York City Indie scene, Fitzgerald is known in several major US cities as an entrancing performer with a voice that draws you, wraps its arms around you and just won't let go. With nods to Sarah McLachlan, Patty Griffin and even Ray LaMontagne, Fitzgerald tackles the little moments in life, drawing the significance of each out into the light in songs that flow like water. It won't take long until you are immersed in her first full length album, In Good Time.

Annie Fitzgerald has one of those voices that are hard to classify. Full of beautiful textures and contours, Fitzgerald can run a warm alto to an inspired soprano, transitioning from one to the other with great ease. Fitzgerald's voice seems to have multiple layers, ala Sarah McLachlan, but her sound is very much her own. When first greeted with that voice on In Good Time's opening track, "Hero", you'll be surprised by the simple, heartfelt delivery and utter beauty of her voice. "Hero" is a heart-on-your-sleeve ballad with a future on mix-tapes and as a wedding song. "Another Sad Love Song" is an amazing bit of melancholy songwriting in a delicious Americana arrangement; a bit of pure poetry. Fitzgerald wishes a young friend well on "Little Girl", a sweet song of inspiration and hope for one whose dreams, hopes and aspirations are all as yet unfound. It's Fitzgerald's easy, unaffected delivery that makes this song fly.

"Watch The World Go By" is an invitation to enjoy a perfect moment in love; those times when time stops and you are lost between the streams with that perfect person. Here it is a dream; a wish for love and the eternal what if. The songwriting style here will seem very familiar to fans of Sarah McLachlan, both for its textures and flow but also for the earnest lyrics and delivery. "Brother" finds Fitzgerald reminiscing about childhood in a song that's full of the melancholy of days lost but also the joy of memory. Fitzgerald's vocal performance here is stunning; stark, lonely and full of love. "How Long" has one of those choruses that seem familiar to you the first time you hear it and stick with you long after the song is done. It's a highly memorable tune you're likely to have on repeat.

"Old Souvenirs" touches on the significance of memories of loved ones who have passed on, and the power of objects, even names passed on, to fill our hearts. Fitzgerald finds that near-perfect songwriting moment here where a song is both highly personal and universal, opening a window between songwriter and listener that is tangible and real. Fitzgerald issues a personal and beautiful call to move forward with a relationship that works on "Let's Not Wait Too Long"; playing on a sense of love and urgency driven by the feeling that this time it's right. Fitzgerald's emotions swirl through the song like gusts of wind on a Fall day, moving and churning in a beautiful display of both creation and fear. In Good Time closes with "Cellar Door", a song about looking into the aspects of yourself that most frighten you; the things you'd rather not see. It's a song about crossing the bridge into adulthood, and taking on the fears we have hidden away from ourselves. It's an amazing closing song; a highly mature and introspective piece of songwriting that seems likely to be covered by others down the road.

Annie Fitzgerald shows a distinctive flair for writing highly personal and moving songs on In Good Time. Fitzgerald’s approach is mature beyond her years, and her voice is has the ring of angel song filtered through the rays of sunrise. Fitzgerald will captivate you with her songs, and you'll be waiting for more to come In Good Time.

Rating: 4.5 Stars (Out of 5)

Learn more about Annie Fitzgerald at http://www.anniefitzgerald.com/ or www.myspace.com/anniefitzgerald.  You can order In Good Time as either a CD or Download directly from Annie Fitzgerld's webstore.  digitally from Amazon.com or iTunes.