South of Here

Nathaniel Rateliff fully integrates his parallel identities as exuberant frontman, introspective folkie and perpetuator of rock's sacred texts on South Of Here. [Aug 2024, p.39]

Deep, rewarding songs, rich in authorly detail, which, not for the first time, position Rateliff, still only 45, as a new Springsteen. [Aug 2024, p.81]

The fine line between contemplation and navel gazing has always been a difficult balancing act to achieve, but here Nathaniel Rateliff, ably backed by the soulful Night Sweats on their fourth studio album, does so without the use of a safety net. And that this collective of musicians does so by breathing new life into established formats is to be applauded. [Summer 2024, p.76]

A stray misstep or two notwithstanding, (the McCartney pastiche opening track doesn’t quite land), South of Here is the most fully formed and emotionally dynamic statement from Rateliff and the Night Sweats,’ a collection of warm reflections and meditations that aren’t bashful about wearing their influences on their sleeve.

Mixed results aside, there’s no doubting Rateliff’s conviction here in trying to create life-affirming anthems that interrogate our place on this planet at this moment.