Musical Thesis: Nathaniel Rateliff “And It’s Still Alright”

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At the center of every album is a musical thesis. This thesis can be the driving force behind the album, a theme that interweaves songs together, or a feeling you are left with after the very last song plays. With some albums, the thesis is easy to find. On others, it is hidden and requires you to be more than a passive listener. These reviews are not about rating an album. Instead, it is about uncovering a musical thesis.

Nathaniel Rateliff’s “And It’s Still Alright” feels like an examination of modern manhood best experienced from the comfort of a rocking chair stationed on a front porch while breathing in a mountain vista. As a collection, it is open, honest, and free. It invites the listener to recognize the good to be found in every situation. It also feels like a roadmap to finding light in the darkest of situations. This album can also be both quiet and calm, as well as confrontational and loud. Altogether, this is one of the better albums released in 2020. In a year where we were forced to reconnect with ourselves, this album served as a near-perfect opportunity to do just that.

Be good to each other,

Nathan