The soul-rock collective Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats seem so well established that it’s hard to believe that The Future is just their third studio album. Of course, they have a live album and Rateliff has two solo albums. You’ve likely heard the singles and/or seen videos for “Love Don’t,” “Survivor,” and “What If I” from this effort, which is sure to garner the humongous hype this band gets. They have a precious duty in holding up the practically sacred reputation of the Stax label, and perhaps feeling that their sound was a bit too emulative of other blue-eyed soul singers or in a few ways too formulaic, they embarked on a more introspective direction in making this album.
Many have hailed Rateliff as a modern-day version of early Van Morrison or Felix Cavaliere of The Rascals. There’s no doubt he’s listened to his fair share of Sam Cooke and Bobby “Blue” Bland records, but this writer is not quite ready to put Rateliff alongside those names just yet. He has risen too quickly, hasn’t necessarily earned his glowing reputation but instead, fills a void that listeners desperately want filled. This is not to say, he won’t get there and there are signs of growth here on The Future.
The album was written and recorded at Rateliff’s new Broken Creek Studio, outside of Denver, Colorado during the pandemic which caused what Rateliff describes as “this constant back and forth battle in me personally and I am sure that comes out in my writing.” Bradley Cook (Bon Iver, Kevin Morby, The War on Drugs) produced along with R.M.B.—the production trio of Rateliff, Patrick Meese (The Night Sweats) and James Barone (Beach House)—who helmed Rateliff’s 2020 solo album And It’s Still Alright.
Coming off his solo album, Rateliff was struggling with writing for a solo album versus a full band effort but Cook urged him to just focus on the songs, indicating that there would be ways to tap into the band’s talents to shape the eventual sound. The opening fanfare of the sweeping title track with blaring horns and the backing vocalists is anything but introspective though, sounding more like a rallying cry. “Survivor” has a danceable, funky pulse, and like the opener, it urges us to shake of the burdens of the pandemic world with defiant lyrics and punchy horns but the overall feel trades authentic soul for a more industrial, disco-like sheen. “Face Down in the Moment” is a smoother, organ-fueled excursion with an infectious chorus hook. Rateliff’s expressive, weathered tenor is on fine display in “Something Ain’t Right,” one of the album highlights, abetted by the background vocalists and his three-piece horn section.
Mark Shusterman’s keyboards color “Love Me Till I Gone” while the steady but too repetitive “Baby I Got Your Number” features a strong horn arrangement. The standout “What If I” is a terrific singalong, with Jenny Lewis and Lucius’ Jess Wolfe creating teeming harmonies. Throughout Rateliff sings directly about self-doubt and the collective anxiety that has plagued all of us during the pandemic. He finds empathy in “I’m On Your Side,” again fueled by the entire band but largely underpinned by Shusterman’s organ. “So Put Out,” is similar to “Survivor” but is more authentically southern and worthy of the soul genre with drummer Meese and bassist Joseph Pope III laying down a greasy groove with Mossman’s guitar wailing away. “Oh I” also has a slinky groove leading to the pulsating declarative closer “Love Don’t,” the best soul tune of the album with an age-old reminder that love is the most powerful antidote.
The fact that Rateliff raises so many questions on the album attributes to the pandemic but maybe also to the self-realization that he and his band need to be more than a fan-crazed soul-rock act. In an album of mixed results, there are enough brilliant moments that bode to a more meaningful lyrical side for Rateliff and his powerful band, which has a knack for infectious grooves and hooks.
Photo credit: Danny Clinch
