Written by: Alex Green
Buy “The Deepest Wound” on iTunes
Chris Simmons has announced the release of a new double A-sided single.
“Deepest Wound”/”Gold Dust” is Simmons’ latest offering and it finds the Brighton musician demonstrating why he’s one of the most riveting and altogether moving singer/songwriters around.
Heralding the release of his upcoming new album, “Deepest Wound” and “Gold Dust” are further evidence that Simmons is one of the best in the business–his songs are redolent with heart, grace and the kind of phrasing that evokes everyone from Neil Finn to David Gray.
A stark number that’s as elegant as it is haunting, “Deepest Wound” is a spare and wrenching meditation on mortality and love. Backed by only strings and an acoustic guitar, Simmons’ voice sounds as wondrous and as wise as ever. “It’s a sad song,” he says, “but it has a very positive message. It’s a message to say, ‘Look, things happen like this, but we have each other and we can get through this’.”
Meanwhile, “Gold Dust” is an open wound of a track that’s as rich as it is raw. It’s an emotive number that’s buoyed by the breezy refrain, “I am running to you/In my mind.”
Simmons’ voice can climb to Cat Stevens heights or dive down deep into Nick Drake darkness, but no matter where he’s singing from, he employs the kind of heart-stopping finesse that could transform a crowded room into a reverent hush in under two seconds.
