IN REVIEW: Nathaniel Rateliff - "And It's Still Alright"

Nathaniel Rateliff's first solo album since 2013 (and first since breaking into the mainstream consciousness with side band The Night Sweats, who have been given some time off here) is one that's directed by loss; in 2018, Rateliff lost both a partner (via divorce), and a friend (Night Sweats producer Richard Swift via untimely passing at the age of 41). It's a rough enough year to make anyone spend some time in the dumps, and I'd be spreading misinformation if I told you And It's Still Alright wasn't more sullen and solemn than the majority of Rateliff's discography (especially his pair of albums with The Night Sweats). The smile and title on the cover suggest that the overarching theme is powering through the darkness to find the light, and that's more or less the idea here.

Fans who came on board after S.O.B. smashed may recoil at just how sparse and quiet this album is, but it's a record that's sparse and quiet purposefully; before his passing, Swift had told Rateliff not to give up on pursuing his Harry Nilsson influence, and it's all over this record through tasteful string arrangements and laid back deliveries that pay tribute to not just the influential musician but also the friend and trusted musical ear.

This makes for an easy enough record to listen to, although an album that's full of chill leaves precious little opportunity for anything to jump out and command attention; Rateliff's voice is in fine form, and his soulful vocals are the high point of this record, but they can't carry the record on their own. As the record drags on into its second half, everything starts to go a bit beige, each song as sullen as the last and the arrangements holding less and less interest outside of a few striking harmonies here and there.

That said, closing track Rush On (the album's most obvious tribute to Swift) works precisely because of its sparseness; Rateliff's pained delivery and subdued instrumentation give the song palpable weight, allowing listeners to feel the loss vicariously (and making reviewers like me feel like a bit of an asshole). It's a crushing conclusion, one that hits harder at the halfway point as the music swells and Rateliff's voice cracks through the yelling

It's a touching tribute and an ending that reminds you of who And It's Still Alright is for; not fairweather fans looking for their next go-to drinking song, and not crotchety critics who tuned out at the midway point because nothing was speaking to them on an artistic level. This album is for those who have been lost, and those who are looking to find their way. It may not be transcendent, but it is beautiful. It may not be completely profound, but it is emotional. It may not be great, but it is certainly alright. Most importantly, it was a record Rateliff needed to make, one that proves that good time vibes aren't always the answer, but rather something we can always aspire to get back to if we can just make sense of the darkness.

February 14, 2020 • Stax
Highlights What a Drag • And It's Still Alright • Rush On