Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats have taken less than five years to become one of the most recognisable newcomers to contemporary rock'n'roll. Since 2015 Rateliff has led his Night Sweats, singing songs about the shared problems of this world with the zeal of a whiskey-loving Pentecostal preacher. They've had hits, sure, but their inflammable mix of soul and rock has quickly established them as one of those rare generational bands that have found a balance between ecstatic live shows and rich, engaging records. Returning from his pandemic-stopped solo tour in March 2020, Rateliff came to terms with the same question that plagued so many of us at the time: what now? Fortunately, he returned to his Colorado farm and wrote a series of songs that mixed his introspective nature with his passion for hymns. The result is The Future, the third Night Sweats album but the first to capture the true depth and breadth of this octet. An 11-song instant classic, the album shows something more sustainable, interesting and open: a singer-songwriter and a band heading towards bigger questions and sounds, into a future that allows them to remain recognisable but be much more fascinating than some jean-clad sketches.