As The Future enters its closing four songs, you get the sense that while the album has so far been solid and some of Rateliff’s best work to date, it still hasn’t reached its peak and could well and truly be ready to unleash some real quality moments. The middle stages of the album ventures into elements of jazz (“Love Me ‘Til I’m Gone” is a moody favourite), the soulful and willingly different “Baby I Got Your Number” (think Michael Kiwanuka vibes), and the question filled “What If I?”, another song that brings in a choir to supply backing vocals while once again allowing Ratefliff’s vocals to ease out and take the lead. Taking a more fun and light turn on “Something Ain’t Right” (it sounds just like something Car Seat Headrest would release), it’s obvious over the first third of the album that Rateliff is more than happy to change the tone of the album at the drop of a hat and make it work each and every time. Slowing it down on “Face Down In The Moment”, it’s a simple song with simple instrumentation but a bullet proof sentiment of trying to let go when you really don’t think you can or should. Diving straight into “Survivor, the first single of the album, the band falls back safely into their soul sounds, with the song’s instrumentation sounding a little like AM era Arctic Monkeys mixed with Alabama Shakes. From the drawn out syllables of Dylan to the howling and growling in the choruses that Ebert once mastered, “The Future” is a pleasant Americana tinged opener that sets the pace for the remainder of the release. Opening up with the titular “The Future”, Rateliff does his best at creating the love child of Bob Dylan and Alexander Ebert of Edward Sharpe & The Magnetic Zeroes. Now with a more energetic vibe via the re-introduction of The Night Sweats, The Future is all effort in all areas without ever contemplating to look back on his past musical stylings. Rateliff is now most well known here and abroad for his Americana soul sounds, matched with rough vocals, having previously embraced a style that bordered mostly along acoustic country and love songs. With his band The Night Sweats in tow for The Future, Rateliff brings a version of his signature upbeat happiness, while getting in touch with an increased level of emotive anguish and groove. In the instance of Nathaniel Rateliff, he’s managed to instill this feeling in a heap of his albums, and continues to do so on new release The Future. Yes, it’s nice to listen to serious musicians making serious and emotive tracks, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing I’d rather listen to to blow out the cobwebs than a classic party tune filled with horns, soulful vocals and an easily repeated chorus. There’s something you’ve got to love about wholesome, feel good music.
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