Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (from the album South of Here

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (from the album South of Here

Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats (from the album South of Here on Stax Records/Concord) (by Brian Rock)
 
Soulful Americana stalwarts Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats search for answers on their fourth album South of Here. Singing songs of introspection and reflection, the band shifts gears from their earlier Gospel-tinged Soul to a more nuanced, Soul-tinged Folk. Rateliff’s vocals accordingly shift from the Wilson Pickett intensity of earlier work to a more relaxed Drew Holcomb-tone. Waxing more philosophic, Rateliff & the Night Sweats take inspiration from Folk Rock heroes past and present to create a rousing soundtrack of soul searching and self-discovery.
“David and Goliath” starts the set with a tip of the hat tribute to Harry Nilsson’s early 70’s hit “Gotta Get Up”. Staccato piano chords reflect a cycle of tension as Rateliff sings ‘can I get out of my head? I don’t know. Will somebody let me go if I’m falling?’. Whereas Nilsson’s tune focused on meeting the external challenges of the day, Nathaniel Rateliff and company focus on battling inner demons.  The tension builds to the chorus, where pulsing horns add to the drama as Rateliff cries ‘I’ll find a way out!’. Like the diminutive David fighting the colossal Goliath, Rateliff is determined to win no matter what the odds. This song is an uplifting ode to defeating your enemies, even if your worst enemy is yourself.
“Heartless” captures the Heartland rhythms of John Mellencamp. “Remember I Was a Dancer” recalls Paul Simon. “Get Used to the Night,” is a tender Springsteen-esque ballad about coping with growing older and loss. All three songs reflect on the past, and how its clarity distorts over time. In seeking answers, Rateliff & The Night Sweats rightfully start with the past, but soon realize the past is often an unreliable resource.
Focusing on the present on South of Here Rateliff moans ‘I just slam the window closed if I can’t take it no more’. The music captures a majestic tone like The Band meeting Jason Isbell as the group grapples with facing reality, or seeking a new reality elsewhere. “Everybody Wants Something” recalls the Folk anthem stylings of Drew Holcomb as Rateliff realizes that he is ‘looking for something, I just don’t know how to see it’. “Center of Me” is a ballad of introspection. As he seeks self-realization Nathaniel Rateliff asks ‘does it have to be now?’. Unable to find answers in either the past or the present, Rateliff and company turn their hopes to the future.
“I Would Like to Heal” shares the dreamy Folk harmonies of The Milk Carton Kids. Gaining a measure of faith and hope, Rateliff sings ‘in my letting go, I find some space to grow’. “Call Me (Whatever You Like)” channels the angry, New Wave energy of Elvis Costello as the band learns to let go of attachments to labels. Putting things in perspective on “Time Makes Fools of Us All”, Rateliff realizes the futility of trying to define something that keeps changing. Capturing the energy and angst of Willie Nile’s “The Day the Earth Stood Still” Nathaniel Rateliff sees that trying to figure out who we are distracts us from ‘being’ who we are. As time passes, we realize too late how much we’ve missed chasing our own shadows. The album conveys a thoughtful, carpe diem message in a variety of Folk Rock tones. Having made their point, the band proves they can still bring the full tilt Stax Soul sound on “Cars in the Desert”. If the rest of the album was encouraging us to live in the moment, this song does just that. Again, posing questions of self-worth; Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats rock out in full force. Emphasizing the message to live in the moment even when you don’t have all the answers, the rousing horn section and pounding drums drive home the point with every note. (by Brian Rock)
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