06.19.06 Go Triad -- North Carolina Sound Advice: Stephen Simmons "Drink Ring Jesus," Stephen Simmons' second release on Locke Creek Records, is a startingly beautiful exploration of our search for redemption among the  sacred and the profane. It is simultaneously stark, dark, hopeful and profound. Simmons' deliciously rich baritone is gravelly and sweet with an epic sadness. His vocals are remniscent of a younger, less embittered Steve Earle or a more melodically articulate, less desolate Richard Buckner. On "Drink Ring Jesus" the only accompaniment to his vocals is his own guitar and an occasional harmonica wail. Simmons is a master at complementing the content and delivery of his lyrics with a delicate and precise finger-picking style.  The result is as emotionally sweeping as a symphony performed by a full orchestra. Lyrically, he has an incredible capacity for evoking empathy from his listeners.   As much as Steve Earle will thrust his listener onto Death Row to explore the validity of institutionalized murder, Simmons puts us into the mind of the devil fighting with the Lord for our souls in "Devil's Work Is Never Done." Or he'll seat us at a bar to stare at a painting of a "Cryin' Elvis" and reflect on the nature of our existence.   His upbringing in rural Tennessee is evident in his songs. His lyrics convey a tangible sense of the geography of the land and the mind. At times, the external and internal landscapes merge as they do in the song "You Give Us:" "Been having problems with my soul/Four way stops I don't know which way to go/So I go down the trail halfway and turn back/End up nowhere always lost in my tracks." In the song "Dante's Blues No. 7," Simmons artfully explores the seven deadly sins as they manifest through drink. It takes a particular mastery of metaphor to catapult an audience into a bar room inferno. Stephen Simmons has demonstrated his mastery with subtlety, intelligence and a refreshing lack of pretentiousness. His bleak and sorrowful songs soon give way to the promise of redemption. The final three songs on "Drink Ring Jesus" lift our spirits and instill hope. "Next Stop Redemption" is a shining beacon of light with lyrics such as "So come on all aboard all you sinners/This train is leaving the station/We may be in Hell tonight/But this journey's only just begun/You can leave the things you want behind/We can all start anew in that station on high/This train is headed for your salvation/Next stop redemption." – Kathy Clark