Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats- South of Here
Label: Stax
Producer: Brad Cook
When Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats broke through to the mainstream with the smash, “S.O.B.” in the summer of 2015, it represented one of the most refreshing popular music breakthroughs in ages, with the band unapologetically returning an updated Stax-flavored soul sound to the airwaves. Across the three band records released since then, Rateliff and his squad have kept that sound at the center of their overall style, while seamlessly and subtly weaving in elements of rock and folk along the way. South of Here presents a literal detour from that foundation however; with the big brass sounds of the past still present, but considerably muted behind a singer-songwriter styled folk-rock palate more emblematic of Rateliff’s solo work. This is immediately established by the piano-driven, Harry Nilsson-recalling opener, “”David and Goliath”, and the acoustic strumming of lead single “Heartless”. The band’s sterling skills allow them to adapt to these changes in an expectedly consistent and authentic manner, and Rateliff’s boisterous pipes remain at their passionate peak (“Remember I Was A Dancer” is a thrilling example of this). Nevertheless, this sonic shift will certainly create plenty of qualms among their rabid fanbase, both a blessing and dilemma that is bestowed upon any successful band that sticks around long enough to develop both an artistic identity and loyal following. The stylistic direction is truly dictated by the increasingly raw and personal nature of the songs, which find Rateliff reflectively grappling with the passage of time, and both the accomplishments and missed opportunities this presents. The results do indeed comprise some of the group’s most uniformly strong and moving compositions, including centerpieces like “Get Used to the Night”, “Center of Me”, “Cars in the Desert”, and the prophetic finale, “Time Makes A Fool of Us All”. Rateliff’s singing and the band’s playing may be undeniably more folksy and subdued, but neither are any less stellar. South of Here is one of those heartfelt, introspective records that will reward listeners with slow-burning riches upon subsequent listens. While that will certainly make it an outlier in the Night Sweats’ catalog thus far, this also sets it on a path to become one of those sleeper gems that every great rock catalog is littered with, should it be fortunate enough to attain any sort of longevity.
Track Listing:
- “David and Goliath” (Nathaniel Rateliff)
- “Heartless” (Rateliff)
- “Remember I Was a Dancer” (Rateliff)
- “Get Used to the Night” (Rateliff)
- “South of Here” (Rateliff)
- “Everbody Wants Something” (Rateliff)
- “Center of Me” (Rateliff)
- “Cars in the Desert” (Rateliff)
- “I Would Like to Heal” (Rateliff)
- “Call Me (Whatever You Like” (Rateliff)
- “Time Makes A Fool Of Us All” (Rateliff)
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