Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats

Stax/Caroline International

There is a proud tradition on fine singer-songwriters embracing the sonic aesthetic of Memphis soul to the entire benefit of their own music: think Elvis Costello's get Happy! album from 1980. Here Denver, Colorado's Nate Rateliff, who is something of a Glasgow favourite with gigs at the Captain's Rest and during Celtic Connections at the Tron on his CV, teams his intense brooding baritone with a kick-ass combo to channel the spirit of Otis Redding and Booker T and the MGs on a set that happily plunders those resources.

I Need Never Get Old has an irresistible Time is Tight beat and the sort of build up that all Mod bands tried to emulate and Dexy's sometimes pulled off, and second track Howling at Nothing is a slice of Sam Cooke-style gospel teamed with Link Wray guitar, as the notional side one of the long player builds up to secular detox anthem S.O.B. "Side two" is mellower, beginning with the country soul of Wasting Time and including Shake, which is not the old tune you might be expecting but a swampy, Meterish, sexy groove of Rateliff's own devising, and a lovely ode to coupledom, I'd Be Waiting.

Keith Bruce