Co-Bill: The End of America + Emily Duff

August 28, 2019 7:30 PM • Free

The End of America is a band of friends who met on the road and found a kindred spirit in one another. The Philadelphia/NYC trio credit their name to Kerouac’s On The Road -- relating to travelling “across the groaning continent” in search of inspiration. The sound is centered on their voices, weaving 3 distinct leads into captivating harmonies over a solid foundation of folk, rock, and americana. Fans often draw comparison to CSNY, The Avett Brothers, and Dawes. 

A prolific songwriter, Emily Duff paints vivid aural pictures: God’s diner, where the faithful are welcomed with ‘fresh coffee and eggs all day’, while a celestial pedal steel serenades diners. The songs are packed with memorable, inventive lyrics - who’d have thought you could make rhymes for ‘modus operandi’ or ‘Lazarus’, and without sounding contrived?  And how about this gem, which sums up the mission of the record, and could be its subtitle: ‘I want to take you higher through my amplifier’!The musical spectrum is colorful, from the Stonesy, rollicking swing of ‘The Day He Walked’, through the up-tempo twangy honky-tonk/rockabilly workout of ‘We All Need Savin’ Some Time’, to the subtle shimmering organ backing on ‘Trust The Lord’ and ‘The Fall’. Gospel choir backing vocals add glory on several tracks; equally strikingly, ‘Jesus Love This Tired Woman’ is arresting in its simplicity: a sincere plea with a minimal arrangement, highlighting Emily’s lyric.