ALBUM REVIEW: Nathaniel Rateliff Merges Musical Strengths on ‘South of Here’
Jim Shahen
Posted On June 25, 2024
There are two different Nathaniel Rateliffs. One is a powerhouse singer who leads the gritty rock ‘n’ soul styling of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats. The other is an introspective singer-songwriter who in recent years has helmed tributes to Harry Nilsson and Leonard Cohen.
On his new LP with the Night Sweats, South of Here, Rateliff brings these divergent musical personas together to create an album unlike any other in his discography.
Rateliff and the Night Sweats strike a different chord right from the start. Album opener “David and Goliath” has a melody that echoes Nilsson’s 1971 song “Gotta Get Up.” But where the Nilsson track has a playful whimsy to its neuroticism, “David and Goliath” is brawnier in performance, with a tension to both the band’s performance and Rateliff’s vocals.
That tension carries over to the second track, lead single “Heartless.” It’s a driving heartland rocker, the sound of the group powering through the anxiety and world-weariness that Rateliff has discussed in recent interviews as being a key factor in the construction of the album. Throughout much of South of Here, particularly on “Cars in the Desert” and the driving “Call Me (Whatever You Like),” you can hear Rateliff and the Night Sweats channeling this energy into some of their most impactful performances to date.
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (photo by Alysse Gafkjen)
But those feelings pour into the slower-paced songs as well.
“Why do I wait until the shit gets harder,” Rateliff laments on “Center of Me.” The subdued track feels like it could be right at home on his 2020 solo record And It’s Still Alright. What differentiates it from his more minimal solo endeavors is the Night Sweats’ horn section, which serves to accentuate the angst and despair of Rateliff’s lyrics and vocals.
“Time Makes Fools of Us All” closes out South of Here. Over a taut arrangement that sounds like a good Kings of Leon song, Rateliff reflects on Night Sweats’ bassist and close friend Joseph Pope III’s battle with cancer. But it’s not a somber affair. Rather, it’s a call to make each moment matter. On an album that homes in on hardship, the song is an exuberant reminder that you can still find joy and fulfillment in life.
Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats’ South of Here is out June 28 on Stax Records.
