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Chances are good that you have not heard of Nathaniel Rateliff.
Chances are really good that you had never heard of this band before
they changed their name from The Wheel, for whatever reason,
to just the lead singer's own moniker. Chances are good that you have
no idea the amount of musical greatness you are missing by not being
aware of this little band from Denver, Colorado. But if you are lucky
enough to be tuned into the new alternative folk movement, you might
get a chance to see or hear Nathaniel Rateliff… and then your
life might just be changed.
Putting all past musical projects aside, Nathaniel has collected
a batch of songs with a dynamic sense and an extremely personal bent
that beg to be heard over and over again. The album begins with the
relaxed strains of "Once In A Great While" which is the
calm before the forceful storm of the epic "Early Spring Till",
a track that sums up, nicely, what this album is really about; songs
that can go from a tiny acoustic voice to the largest, most soaringly
beautiful folk song that one could imagine. The song has all the trappings
of an old Simon And Garfunkel song in many ways, with bits
of sonic filigree and slight vocal harmony thrown in under the acoustic
guitar that carries each of these songs on its way, until the song
breaks into an epic chorus as Nathaniel pleads, "Are you tired,
do you feel wrung out? Have you fallen from where glory sprouts? Are
you cut off in fields and pressed down, like an early spring till,
that don't come 'round… I think I've been there." This song
has so much simple, intrinsic power that it sets the stage for the
remainder of the tracks that seek to establish Rateliff's legacy.
"Brakeman" calls down harmonies as beautiful and full as
any that have ever been recorded, carrying the stark, melancholy drumming
and piano on their way as the song tells a dark story of haunting
and longing. Songs like "Oil & Lavender" are low and
mellow, relying almost entirely upon the voice and acoustic guitar
of Rateliff himself, showcasing his ability to craft amazing songs
more than any of his previous outings have done. For example, "You
Should Have Seen The Other Guy" is the kind of song that some
songwriters work their entire lives to write. It's an amazing song
with a soul that could only be breathed by singing loosely about old
family stories, but with a grace and penchant for imagery that crowns
the achievement of this fine recording. When Rateliff's plaintive
wailing voice cries out for release in the chorus, there is, again,
that pure power of spirit that make sthis such a startling and compelling
album.
"Boil & Fight" has a brighter tone, but retains the
album's keen sense of literary excellence, mixing in alternating
rhythms and bells that create a chiming pathway upon which to stroll.
The album dips deeply into the Americana well for songs like "When
We Could", songs that have such simple and brilliant melodies
carried along the lightly plucked nylon strings of Rateliff's trademark
guitar as his voice soars in and out of the clear sky. The album
isn't all slow, melancholy… "A Lamb On The Stone"
carries a quicker tempo and a lighter air that is celebratory in
feeling and finally allows the band to really throw down and show
what they're capable of playing. The beat is heavy and solid as
Rateliff's voice is soaring and majestic, with less of a high, lonesome
cast and more of an earthy beauty.
While Nathaniel Rateliff is not a new voice on the local Denver scene,
his major label debut In Memory Of Loss will hopefully help
to transport his name far and wide as one of the most exemplary of
the up and coming new troubadours. The band is tight and has been
making a name for themselves with their live shows, both here and
abroad, and the performances have been stunning. But the real meat
of this record, and Nathaniel himself, lies in his ability to craft
timeless songs that are as familiar as an old set of work gloves,
but as inspirational and uplifting as the finest hymn on a warm, countryside
Sunday morning. This is the beginning, and I, for one, look forward
to a long and rich companionship with this band's music.
-Embo Blake
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