Pittsburgh

Released in 2015, Pittsburgh is a conceptual EP and a deeply personal tribute to William Fitzsimmons' grandmother, Virginia, who passed away shortly before the recording. Unlike his more electronic-leaning or layered previous works, this record was tracked in a mere three days, resulting in a raw, skeletal sound that prioritizes emotional immediacy over production sheen. The album functions as a sonic map of Fitzsimmons' hometown and his family history, with track titles like 'Ghosts of Penn Hills' grounding the abstract grief in specific geography. Critics noted the album's return to the 'bedroom folk' roots that first defined his career, praising the unflinching lyrical focus on the mechanics of loss and the physical reality of death. It stands as a pivotal moment in his catalog, stripping away the indie-pop flourishes of his mid-career to reveal the core of his songwriting: a therapist's eye for detail paired with a poet's sense of melody.