WILLIAM FITZSIMMONS
The Sparrow and the Crow

Love is marvelously delicate and yet heavy when lost. William Fitzsimmons’ latest release “The Sparrow and the Crow” is devoted to the broken-hearted and those who have hurt another.

It’s a quiet album, with a sound similar to a soft autumn wind gently nudging small leaves across the pavement. Its melodies match desolate moods.

In “After Afterall,” the album’s opener, Fitzsimmons pleads for forgiveness after hurting his lover. It’s a shortened, quieter version of “Afterall” from his 2006 release “Goodnight.”

The penitence is felt in his quasi-whisper, as he repeats phrases such as “I still love you after all” and “Please don’t leave me after all.” The emotions on display are naked, honest and strikingly real.

“If You Would Come Back Home” promises a lover who has left that days would be brighter if he was given a second chance: “If you would come back home/ We could start all over/ If you would come back home/ I swear it would be better.”

“Please Forgive Me (Song of the Crow)” has loneliness and regret intertwined in its melody and lyrics. The crow, which inspired the album’s title, gets a chance to apologize here.

One day, Fitzsimmons noticed two birds, a sparrow and a crow, competing against a strong wind. The two fought together as the wind overpowered them. They made no progress.

Suddenly, the crow, exhausted from the strength of their invisible foe, stopped its effort, turned the other way, and flew away, abandoning its one-time companion to “fight and fight alone.” The wind is a metaphor for life.

“Good Morning” lends hope to the abandoned: “Moonlight will fall/ Winter will end/ Harvest will come/ Your heart will mend/ You will find love.”

Other standout tracks include “You Still Hurt Me,” “They’ll Never Take the Good Years” and “Find Me to Forgive.”

A Pittsburgh native, Fitzsimmons has effectively put together a blend of music that can adequately hold a despondent heart.

VERDICT: “The Sparrow and the Crow,” in its calm and brisk demeanor, is a great supplement to broken hearts.

- Tyrone Rivers

GHOSTFACE KILLAH
Ghostdini: Wizard of Poetry in Emerald City

Who would have thought Ghostface Killah would come out with an R&B Album?

The idea doesn’t seem to fit Ghost’s strength as master storyteller, bar none in rap right now. While you have to admire the fact that he attempted something out of his comfort zone, we aren’t, for the most part, getting the Ghost we know and love throughout much of “Ghostdini.”

“Guest House” is vintage Ghost, telling a grimy murder story after he catches his wife in bed with another man, played by Jadakiss (nice to see him again). From that track, we move on to “Let’s Stop Playin’,” a song about cheating on your wife. This song is indicative of the main problem that plagues “Ghostdini.”

Ghostface is flaunting way too many personas here. From the jealous lover to loyal husband to cheating husband, to pimp, player and poet, Ghost can’t quite find his niche. As the saying goes, a jack of all trades is the king of none.

Still, there are flashes of what makes him an interesting emcee, even on a lackluster effort. “Stapleton Sex” takes the idea of baby-making music far too literally, detailing every step of the process of love-making just in case we didn’t know where babies came from. The remix to “Back Like That” adds a clever Kanye verse about Kobe beef, as well as an “Anchorman” reference.

VERDICT: With Raekwon and Method Man back on track in 2009, it is The Wu-Tang Clan’s most consistent emcee who finds himself with an inconsistent album. Plus, the album cover alone is worth giving this album a less-than-praiseworthy grade.

- Wynn Sammons