Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats

Review of Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats self-titled album.

You could easily be fooled into thinking this was a long-lost album from the classic soul-stomping era of Atlantic or Stax artists such as Sam & Dave or Wilson Pickett, but no, it’s a brand new release. Such is the authenticity of this band, and just to compound the potential for confusion, in America it’s actually coming out on the recently revived Stax label. It’s an impossible album not to like, and I can only imagine how Nathaniel and his 7-piece band go down when they perform these live. Several songs sound so familiar I’d swear they were old standards from thirty or more years ago, but these are all brand new. It’s not all up-tempo either. ‘Wasting Time’, which follows the storming ‘S.O.B’, is a ballad Otis Redding would have been happy to perform. The songs are often a reflection on the harder, more painful aspects of life, but have such a positive groove, they’re impossible to resist. Do yourself a favour, get into Nathaniel’s groove, and get down with your bad self.

7 out of 10

Released 19.8.15