South of Here

In his 4th release with the Night Sweats, Rateliff combines his two disparate musical personas: the emotive solo crooner and the fullbore soul man. In it he contemplates both the enchantment of youth and middle-aged disappointments. He says that “This album is a look into my own struggle with anxiety and insecurity and also stories of my life. (Brad) encouraged me to take responsibility for my own narrative in the songs and to write about what’s happening in my own life”. Whether crooning or belting it out, the NS's are right there with him providing plenty of space when appropriate but also cranking it to 11 when the second hardest working man in showbiz lets loose.

FCC: 4, 7 (CD is clean)

1 David and Goliath - soft piano intro builds to a rocker with NR channeling Harry Nilsson (fast, 3:16)*
2 Heartless - high energy heartland groove with sweet horn work (fast, 3:19)***
3 Remember I Was A Dancer - slow & soulful start/end with blistering guitar break (4:01)**
4 Get Used To The Night - Van Morrison vibe with soulful vocals over powerful horns (med, 3:24)*** FCC
5 South of Here - full croon mode with nice piano (med, 3:08)
6 Everybody Wants Something - sweet coming of age tale done as a heartland rocker ala Bob Seeger (3:12)**
7 Center of Me - bittersweet tale of angst & despair with soft vocals over picked guitar (slow, 4:04)*** FCC
8 Cars In The Desert - glorious rocker brimming with Night Sweats bravado (fast, 2:57)**
9 I Would Like To Heal - slow & sweet with a Nilsson goes Hawaiian vibe (slow, 3:55)
10 Call Me (Whatever You Like) - high energy rocker with great horns (med, 3:01)
11 Time Makes Fools Of Us All - exuberant recommendation to make the most of our time on earth, honoring NR's friend & bassist who died of cancer (fast, 2:35)***