In Memory Of Loss

The first things you notice about 'In Memory of Loss' are the voice and the space. That voice belongs to Nathaniel Rateliff, a man who's earned the twang and hard-knock weariness that shines through on the album. The space comes courtesy of producer Brian Deck (Califone, Iron & Wine, Modest Mouse), who helped transform 8-track bedroom demos into miniature epics of contrast, beauty, and yearning.

On these fourteen tracks which bristle with soulful minimalism, hints of the music he grew up on - Van Morrison, Muddy Waters, the Beatles - shine through. Yet Rateliff is also at home in what may be called, for lack of a better term, the neo-folk revival. His voice is so confident that you can occasionally imagine the music dropping out entirely, leaving a song propelled solely by Rateliff’s a capella strengths.

Rateliff recorded the album with help from longtime collaborators Julie Davis (bass, vocals), James Han (piano) and Joseph Pope III (guitar, vocals).