South of Here is the fourth studio album by American rock band Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats. It was released on June 28, 2024, by Stax Records. The album was produced by Brad Cook and all songs were written by Nathaniel Rateliff.
| South of Here | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | June 28, 2024 | |||
| Studio | Broken Creek Studio (Colorado) Sonic Ranch (Texas) | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 36:42 | |||
| Label | Stax | |||
| Producer | Brad Cook | |||
| Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats chronology | ||||
| ||||
Background
editNathaniel Rateliff wrote and recorded the album with his band, the Night Sweats, in two different places: his own studio, Broken Creek, and Sonic Ranch in Texas. According to a note written by Rateliff, the songs explore his "anxiety, insecurity, and also stories of [his] life". He also notes on how Brad Cook inspired him to focus more on writing about what was happening in his life, allowing him to develop more personal works.[1][2]
Singles
editThe album's lead single "Heartless" was released on April 19, 2024. The song explores the challenges of life, and Rateliff's optimism to find the strength to overcome his challenges.[3] The song peaked at number 1 on the Adult Alternative Airplay chart.[4]
Promotional singles
editThe album's first promotional single "David and Goliath" was released on May 17, 2024, followed by "Get Used to the Night" on June 7, 2024.[5][6]
Critical reception
edit| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| Metacritic | 78/100[7] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [8] |
| Classic Rock Magazine | 7/10[9] |
| Glide Magazine | [2] |
| Mojo | [10] |
| Paste Magazine | 6.7/10[11] |
| Rolling Stone |  [12] |
| Uncut | [13] |
Upon its release, South of Here received primarily positive reviews. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 based on reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 78 based on 8 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[7]
Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Timothy Monger wrote that, "Rateliff leads his crew through a panoply of '70s-touched roots rock, delivered with warmth, sincerity, and occasional bursts of grit. Even amid its themes of anxiety and overcoming trauma, South of Here manages to stay buoyant, and at times playful."[8]
Track listing
editAll tracks are written by Nathaniel Rateliff.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "David and Goliath" | 3:15 |
| 2. | "Heartless" | 3:18 |
| 3. | "Remember I Was a Dancer" | 4:00 |
| 4. | "Get Used to the Night" | 3:23 |
| 5. | "South of Here" | 3:07 |
| 6. | "Everybody Wants Something" | 3:11 |
| 7. | "Center of Me" | 4:04 |
| 8. | "Cars in the Desert" | 2:56 |
| 9. | "I Would Like to Heal" | 3:54 |
| 10. | "Call Me (Whatever You Like)" | 3:00 |
| 11. | "Time Makes Fools of Us All" | 2:34 |
| Total length: | 36:42 | |
Personnel
editMusicians
- Nathaniel Rateliff – vocals, piano, electric guitar, acoustic guitar, slide guitar, banjo, art direction
- Luke Mossman – guitar, pedal steel
- Joseph Pope III – bass
- Mark Shusterman – Hammond B3, piano, muted piano
- Patrick Meese – drums, keyboards, piano, Omnichord
- Daniel Hardaway – trumpet
- Jeff Dazey – tenor saxophone
- Matt Douglas – additional tenor saxophone
- Andreas Wild – baritone saxophone, bass clarinet
- Phil Cook – Dobro, piano
Additional roles
- Brad Cook – production
- Paul Voran – mixing, engineering
- Mario Ramirez – assistant engineering
- Mark Anderson – additional assistant engineering
- Gerardo Ordonez – additional engineering and horns (tracks 5, 7)
- Chris Colbert – mastering
- Rett Rogers – art direction, photography
- Clay Condor – exterior layout
- Telepath Design – interior layout
Charts
edit| Chart (2024) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[14] | 142 |
| Scottish Albums (OCC)[15] | 24 |
| Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[16] | 90 |
| UK Americana Albums (OCC)[17] | 8 |
| UK Album Downloads (OCC)[18] | 39 |
| US Billboard 200[19] | 145 |
| US Top Album Sales (Billboard)[20] | 12 |
| US Folk Albums (Billboard)[21] | 16 |
| US Top Alternative Albums (Billboard)[22] | 19 |
| US Top Current Album Sales (Billboard)[23] | 12 |
| US Independent Albums (Billboard)[24] | 23 |
| US Vinyl Albums (Billboard)[25] | 7 |
References
edit- ^ a b Shahen, Jim (June 25, 2024). "ALBUM REVIEW: Nathaniel Rateliff Merges Musical Strengths on 'South of Here'". No Depression. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b Moore, John (June 25, 2024). "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats' 'South Of Here' is Most Musically Diverse Effort to Date (ALBUM REVIEW)". Glide Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Listen: Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats Announce Fourth Full-Length Album 'South of Here' with "Heartless" Preview". Relix. April 19, 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Rutherford, Kevin (July 12, 2024). "Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats Crown Adult Alternative Airplay With 'Heartless'". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - "David & Goliath" (Official Lyric Video)". YouTube. 16 May 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats - "Get Used to the Night" (Official Lyric Video)". YouTube. 7 June 2024. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ a b "South of Here by Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats". Metacritic. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ a b Marszalek, Julian. "South of Here - Nathaniel Rateliff | Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats". AllMusic. Retrieved July 18, 2024.
- ^ Marszalek, Julian (July 2024). ""This collective of musicians breaths new life into established formats": Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats' lineage stretches out on South Of Here". Classic Rock Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – South of Here". Mojo. August 2024. p. 81.
- ^ Williams, Tom. "Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats Aim For Stadiums on Uneven South of Here". Paste Magazine. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ Bernstein, Jonathan (27 June 2024). "Nathaniel Rateliff Delivers His Most Intimate Album Yet With 'South of Here'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – South of Here". Uncut. August 2024. p. 39.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – South of Here" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats – South of Here". Hung Medien. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Official Americana Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved July 16, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Top Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Top Americana/Folk Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Top Alternative Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Top Current Album Sales)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Independent Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nathaniel Rateliff the Night Sweats Chart History (Vinyl Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved July 13, 2024.