Photo: Press
Nathaniel Rateliff is a fella with remarkable regenerative powers. Both his life and his career have existed in an almost constant state of flux. From his deeply religious upbringing, through to the death of his father and his subsequent realisation that his own path was a secular one - it’s thus far been a life of transition.
Musically Rateliff has also transformed, recently ditching the pensive folk of his early records, signing to Stax and releasing a collection of blistering, soulful R&B.
It’s a shift that sees much of the plaintive content of his earlier recordings intact - it’s just that the delivery and intent seems to have changed. Many of the songs from the album are still sad tales, but rather than just reflect them, he’s chosen to defiantly exorcise those demons by battering the shit out of them with soulful, joyous tunes and spirited moves. And amen to that.
Unsurprisingly, his set at Kentish Town Forum rests heavily on his latest album, and each track is delivered with impassioned fervour. Possibly none more so than ‘I Never Get Old’ - a song that's a great vehicle for his rich, soulful and affecting voice which is in fine fettle this evening.
It’s also one of the many moments that the Night Sweats shine brightly. Rateliff’s a generous performer, allowing each member their individuality. The Sweats bring to mind Springsteen’s E Street Band, both in the sense that they’re a genuine gang, and thanks to their energetic R&B stylings, with which they really let rip on the pulsating, bass-driven ‘Shake’, lifting the recorded version to more epic proportions.
Rateliff justly saves 'S.O.B' for the encore. It’s a gospel tune without an ounce of redemptive sentiment. Instead, it screams, 'In your face preacher - I will have more booze!' with toe-tapping zeal. Predictably it raises the roof of the Forum and is a refreshing slice of rebellious rock 'n' roll in a time of increasingly neutered pop.
Rateliff and his band perform a restorative set for the bruised and jaded, that picks you by your lapels, dusts you off and commands you to crack on. He might well be an unbeliever, but you can rest assured that each word he intones is his truth. He's the real deal.
