Courtesy: Stax Records
Indie rock outfit Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats return this spring with its latest album Tearing at the Seams. In anticipation of its release, the band this week released the album’s lead single ‘You Worry Me,’ This first taste of the group’s upcoming album is a good start for the album’s promotion. That is due in no small part to the song’s musical arrangement, which will be discussed shortly. Its lyrical theme is just as important to its presentation as its musical arrangement, and will be discussed later. Its production rounds out its most important elements, and will also be discussed later. Each element is important in its own right to the song’s whole. All things considered, they make ‘You Worry Me’ a song that gives audiences more hope than worry about Tearing at the Seams.
‘You Worry Me,’ the lead single from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats’ sophomore full-length studio recording, is a work that gives audiences more hope than worry about the group’s upcoming album. That is due in no small part to the record’s musical arrangement. The song’s musical arrangement is a simple yet catchy and infectious composition that will easily appeal just as much to funk and soul fans as it will to rock fans. A close listen to the song reveals it is driven largely by the group’s rhythm section while Rateliff’s vocal’s and the song’s guitar line rest easily on that foundation to form a composition that will get stuck in any listener’s head. It is just one part of what makes the song such an enjoyable first effort from this album. Its lyrical content is just as important as its musical arrangement.
The lyrical content presented in ‘You Worry Me’ is so interesting because of the discussion that it is certain to generate. Rateliff sings in the song’s lead verse, “I’m alright today/You gonna find a way to cross/And you gonna get there/And I’m on fire today/Ain’t no water here to calm or even put me out/I’ll find a better way/Am I crazy or the wind is gonna blow me down/I’m gonna leave it all out there to dry/I’m gonna leave it all out there/I’m gonna leave it all out there to dry up/I’m gonna leave it all out there.” On the one hand, this verse comes across as the song’s subject saying to another person that said person will be fine despite a given situation. The subject saying, “I’m on fire today/Ain’t no water here to calm or even put me out/I’ll find a better way,” is really left up to interpretation. It could be argued that this is the song’s subject saying, “I’ll find a way to be okay.” That would seem to work in partner with the song’s title. The song’s second verse seems to put some credence in the song’s lead verse as Rateliff sings, “You seem tired today/Were you up all night/Afraid of what the future might bring/I feel fine today/I had dreams of you in places I’ve not seen before/You get so carried away/Like lovers new to bodies first to touch you here/This ain’t a getaway/You build walls around your heart to lock it in/I’m gonna leave it all out there to dry.” Even more here, it seems as though the song’s subject is addressing someone, saying that person is making too much of a given situation or given situations. Yet again, that would seem to work with the song’s title, especially as the song’s subject says to that unnamed person, “I feel fine today/I had dreams of you in places I’ve not seen before.” It’s as if the song’s subject is saying to that person he/she knows that said person will be just fine. What’s interesting about all of this is that when it is set against the backdrop of the song’s musical arrangement, the whole of the two elements wouldn’t seem to work together, but somehow it does. The energy in the song’s musical arrangement seems to send a message along with the lyrics of someone who is just fed up with that other person’s constant worries and woes, throwing up his or her hands in the process. That juxtaposition makes the song stand out even more, showing that much more why it is such a strong first effort from the group’s new album. It still is not the last of the song’s most important elements. The song’s production rounds out its most important elements.
The song’s production stands out because of the subtlety in each of the song’s lines. From the foundation forming keyboards, bass and drums to Rateliff’s vocal delivery and the song’s guitar line, each piece of the whole is expertly balanced with the others. At no point do any of the song’s parts cover the others. The end result is that each line stands out just as well as the others, adding so much more to the song’s impact. That’s the case even in the song’s chorus, which is stronger than the verses in regards to the arrangements. What’s more, the juxtaposition of that musical (and lyrical) declaration to the more subtle vibe in the verses makes the song’s production even stronger. All things considered here, the song’s production allows every member of the band to shine here, showing even more in turn why this song is such a strong first effort from Tearing at the Seams. When it is joined with the song’s musical arrangement and its lyrical content, the whole of those elements shows in full why ‘You Worry Me’ gives audiences more hope than worry about Tearing at the Seams.
‘You Worry Me,’ the lead single from Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats’ forthcoming sophomore album Tearing at the Seams, is a work that gives audiences more hope than worry about the album. That is thanks to the partnering of its expertly balanced musical arrangement with its equally relatable lyrical theme. The song’s musical arrangement deserves its own credit both for its content and for its production. When the song’s lyrical theme is coupled with that production and the arrangement itself, the whole of the elements makes this song a strong first effort from the band’s new album. It gives audiences, once more, more hope than worry about the album as its release nears. More information on ‘You Worry Me’ is available online along with the latest news about Tearing at the Seams and more at:
Website: http://www.nathanielrateliff.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nathanielrateliff
Twitter: http://twitter.com/NRateliff
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