Currently sitting at number one on the Americana Radio Singles Chart, “Face Down in the Moment” comes from the album “The Future” from Nathaniel Rateliff & The Night Sweats.
For myself, this song definitely has that classic-country Americana vibe and is a perfect compliment to driving a beat up pickup on a county road at sunset.The simple piano and drum rhythm brings out a reflective tone in the song and serves as a parallel to the last few years in Nathaniel Rateliff’s career, from his solo album “And It’s Still Alright” released in 2020, to the follow-up “The Future” from 2021. The song starts with Nathaniel singing solemnly before he is joined by a chorus from the rest of the band.
As has become common during the pandemic, there are many tracks on the album as a whole that try to bring some hope and light into our unprecedented times. Let’s look specifically at a stanza in “Face Down in the Moment.”
“You keep waiting on the night, you keep waiting on your pain, and every moment that you wait now is a moment slipped away. I think you’re gonna have to come out, and face all the fear you can’t explain, all your life you’ve been face down, now it’s time for you to see.”
It’s probably been said by many people analyzing music from these unprecedented times, but it’s encouraging to see artists still finding hope through their art. It speaks to the undying drive within the human spirit to sing and dance as a way to keep hard times at bay.
Even when you get knocked down, you’ll get up again, and nobody will ever keep you down.
