Indie-folk artist Searows released his EP “End Of The World” on Nov. 10. Wistful and nostalgic, the EP’s songs serve as vignettes of a life once forgotten. Though the EP lacks a certain sense of dynamic liveliness, it’s still an enchanting body of work — complemented by Searows’s signature ability to create music that elicits listeners’ deepest emotions. While many of the tracks have a distinctly similar sound — acoustic, slow and despondent — they all form a cohesive collection of self-reflective and beautiful pieces.
Released as a single July 25, the EP’s first track “Older” masterfully captures the terrifying feeling of growing up. The song is a lengthy seven minutes, but time seems to fly as listeners get lost in the swirl of emotions and serene instrumentals. The track introduces the rest of the EP with a stirring sense of longing — a theme that seems to weave its way through the rest of the work.
“I have more than enough” follows. Searows’s voice and the song’s instrumentals make the track sound like a part of Phoebe Bridgers’s discography, especially with its sorrowful aura and haunting imagery. The song, though moving, does little to set itself apart from other work in the genre. The next track, “Collector,” also has a similar atmospheric sound and guitar accompaniment. The lyrics themselves are simple and brief, but listeners looking for a peaceful tune to lull them into calm will certainly feel at peace with the airy vocals and slow tempo.
The record takes a more eerie turn with “Funny.” Both lyrically and musically, the song is one of the most poignant tracks on the EP. Searows wrestles with survival and existence as he sings: “Funny how you rearrange / How your mind begins to change / Hold yourself a little tighter in the arms of your old age.” The chorus is the most captivating part of the song, full of hypnotic harmonies and swelling instrumentals.
The EP’s title track is next, its soothing melody providing a breath of fresh air after the heaviness of “Funny,” despite the song’s gloomy subject. Searows describes how confronting the end of the world makes him want to reconnect with someone from his past and admits, “I saw the end of the world last night / I ran to you.”
The EP closes with “I Can and I Will.” The verses are stripped down simply to a soft backing instrumental and Searows’s voice, emphasizing the more complex segments in between. Still, the song’s lethargic pace provides somewhat of an uninteresting conclusion to the record. That being said, the outro of the song, while brief, does offer listeners somewhat of a compelling and climactic ending. In this way, the closing track is reflective of the EP itself — musically ethereal but somewhat unremarkable.
Daphne is an Arts & Culture writer from Austin, Texas. She is planning on studying International and Public Affairs. Her passions include cats, running and Phoebe Bridgers.
