Signed to Stax Records after the disillusionment and relatively little success as a solo performer. Rateliff was born in St. Louis, growing up in the Missouri countryside until subsequently moving to Denver in at the age of 18. It was in Denver that Rateliff began his solo work, and wasn’t until 2013 that he joined up with other local contemporaries to create The Night Sweats, featuring Joseph Pope III (bass), Mark Shusterman (keyboards) and Patrick Meese (drums). This was the start of creating his own brand of soul with the bands first real success coming with the release of their self-titled first album.
Tearing at the Seams invokes memories of Joe Cocker and Van Morrison listening parties. Years of house parties and vintage-flavored barn concerts that was an instrumental part of my life while growing up in the prairies. The soul-influenced “Shoe Boot” is a strong opening track that sets the stage with fat, fat horn, and rollicking keys. Rateliff’s vocals emanate a cool, swarthy kind of dignity. It’s hard to find contemporaries that truly match the overall groove that the Night Sweats add to Rateliff, and together I say there is few who could maintain this reckless white-man soul.
There is most definitely a 60’s sound presses into the groove on most of the tracks, “Be There,” and “Intro” as a few standouts. The first single “You Worry Me,” is a straight-up bass/keyboard groove with tenor guitar licks that accentuate the greasy lyrics offered up by Rateliff.
~ Jonnahholliday
