End Like This

Released in 2007 as a companion piece to his critically acclaimed full-length 'Makers', the 'End Like This' EP serves as a concentrated dose of Rocky Votolato’s signature Pacific Northwest folk. While 'Makers' brought him wider recognition, this EP strips the sound down even further, focusing on the interplay between his weathered tenor and percussive acoustic guitar work. The title track and '20 Degrees' highlight his ability to weave themes of mortality and existential longing into seemingly simple folk structures. Historically, this release solidified Votolato's transition from the post-hardcore energy of Waxwing into a premier voice of the mid-2000s acoustic movement. It is characterized by its 'dry' production, eschewing lush reverb for a bone-dry, intimate proximity that places the listener inches from the performer. For fans of the era's earnest, unpolished songwriting, it remains a quintessential example of the 'Seattle sound' applied to the singer-songwriter tradition.