Perhaps more than any other genre, country music has cast a wide net and because of that folk, bluegrass and roots rock are often blended into the Americana subgenre.  Singer/songwriter Nathaniel Rateliff is an artist that falls nicely into this subgenre with In Memory of Loss, his debut album for Rounder Records.  The record kicks off with the soft “Once in a Great While” while “Early Spring Till” recalls stuff from The Swell Season (the duo featured in the Once film). There are stellar harmonies that recall the Band on this song as well while “Brakeman” recalls stuff from Bob Dylan (with a voice).

Rateliff’s voice moves from quiet to loud to quiet again with ease and it’s really something that many other singer/songwriters could learn from.  Not every song needs to be a loud mass of songs.  “Longing and Losing” recalls The Avett Brothers and each song tells a particular story. “You Should’ve Seen The Other Guy” finds Nathaniel Rateliff, who used to perform as “The Wheel” before realizing that Asleep at the Wheel and a rock/metal band used the same name, singing a song about his family.  In fact, the whole album is a song cycle about his family and his life.  “Whimper and Wail” is a highlight that gets better with each listen while “Boil & Fight” recalls something you might have heard on the Rick Rubin produced American Series from Johnny Cash.

While In Memory of Loss isn’t likely to appeal to people who like stuff like much of what we typically cover on Roughstock, fans of artists like Brandi Carlile and the Jayhawks will dig this record. 

Key tracks: Whimper and Wail, You Should’ve Seen The Other Guy, Once In A Great While, A Lamb on the Stone.

You can support Nathaniel Rateliff by purchasing this album digitally at Amazon | iTunes.

You can also pick up a physical copy of the album at Amazon.