![]() 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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 wholesome “I’m On Your Side”, is an almost call to arms to those in your circle you know you can rely on and whom can rely on you. It’s sweet, sincere and filled with those feel good horns Rateliff and The Night Sweats have built their sound on. Mark Tolstrup and his partner Jill Burnham are a success.Second to last is “Oh I”, a track that canters along over its opening half before picking it up with layers of horns, harmonies and a warm glow you’d expect to close a feel good festival set with. In the local blues world, Mark has long been a big success. He regularly plays Caffe Lena, arguably the most prestigious showcase of American roots music in the region. He and his partner Jill Burnham have competed twice at the Blues Foundation’s International Blues Challenge (IBC) on Beale St. They made it into the semifinals this year, the first time any act from the Capital Region has made it that far in the history of that event. Their opening set at Mona Golub’s BBQ and Blues Festival at Music Haven in Schenectady was a disaster waiting to happen on July 28 th.Īt one of those performances, there was no judge present, and there were half the normal number of competitors there for this, the first Blues Foundation sponsored IBC since the pandemic started. ![]() ![]() All week, the weather forecast had been for solid sunny weather, except for a predicted shower at the precise time the festival was to take place. An hour before Mark and Jill were to take the stage, it poured buckets, and not one single fan was on location to grab an early seat for the best local triple header blues event of the summer. ![]() The start was delayed a half hour, but by 5:30 showtime the sun was out, and Mark and Jill hit it out of the park literally and figuratively. There were at best 100 fans sitting in wet seats at the beginning of their set. Was that a success? By my measure it was. I’d been dying to see them live because, despite pandemic streaming and sequestered phoned-in recordings, blues will always be a live phenomenon. There might as well have been tens of thousands there. The chemistry between Mark’s traditional acoustic guitar runs and Jill’s saucy mama vocals was enervating. Mark has been on the regional scene for decades. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |