Jeremy Rice’s latest single is an impassioned love story about a relationship pulled apart by circumstances beyond the protagonists’ control. The song extends their journeys into a metaphor for life: the highway represents the twists and turns, the changes in direction, the junctions we come to and decisions we make that take us away from, or closer to, those we love. It’s a classic theme for a classic Americana rock-sound, steeped in the musical traditions of songs from the 1970s. Constructed around flowing piano and Rice’s smooth, melodic vocal delivery, ‘The End of the Highway’ grows and builds into an absorbing song, full of energy. The full rock sound benefits from thumping drums that really set the tone, alongside wailing harmonica and forceful electric guitar. The end result manages to be both backward and forward-looking, nostalgic and yet optimistic and hopeful; it’s an effective performance of a well-crafted song. The accompanying video captures the story well with Rice hitching down long roads, footage of his heartfelt singing and scenes reflecting the love in the tale.
This single is the title track from Rice’s two-part album, of which the first part has just been released. It’s a dynamic, extended follow-up to his debut, ‘Jeremy Rice and the Legendary Fist of Takinawa’, which was released to critical acclaim in 2019 and received plenty of radio airplay. The Canadian singer-songwriter, now based in Quebec, is inspired by classic rock and Americana stylings and we can expect more tuneful, upbeat rock songs when part two of the album is released soon. Check it out.
