01.01.05 Folkworld Magazine Stephen Simmons | Last Call The opening strains of the mouth harmonica on the first track of Stephen Simmon's second album (the first being the self-released acoustic album "Stephen Simmons Live: Five Song Sampler", which received rave reviews in the Nashville music circles) pretty much describes the rest of the album - plaintive, soulful, verging on the poetic at times- and sets the mood for the album's main theme: the tension between last call for alcohol, tomfoolery (especially with women, that oh-so-dangerous and exotic species) and the last call for your soul. Born and raised in the small town of Woodbury, Tennessee, Simmons was exposed, at an early age, to a strict, Church of Christ upbringing. "When you're raised in the Church of Christ, if you're sensitive at all, it leaves you with a lot to struggle with," explains Simmons. This sense of struggle is revealed in the songs on this album, which collectively portray the tension between a life of rural simplicity and the opportunities and temptations represented by the city. The song "Country Lines", for example, contains the lines "County Lines/ Run in funny ways/ But once they draw 'em up/ They don't ever change/ They say you can't go back/ So don't even try/ Take one more step/ And kiss your County goodbye." To categorize Simmons' music would be a hard task: not strictly country, folk or even Americana, but somewhere in-between, the songs on the album definitely reveal the influence of artists such as Steve Earle, Gordon Lightfoot and even the Small Faces, as well as Simmons' raw passion for his acoustic guitar. – Kathy Tan