Nathaniel Rateliff w/ Chris DeMay

There is no shortage of young folk-rock songwriters remaking Bruce Springsteen's Nebraska in their own image these days, but Colorado-by-way-of-Missouri singer Nathaniel Rateliff stands out from the pack with his remarkable voice, a powerful howl that can sound alternatingly gruff and broken. Rateliff puts that voice to fine use on his 2010 solo debut, In Memory of Loss, which he recorded with Califone and Iron and Wine producer Brian Deck. The album complements Rateliff's captivating songs with minimal, unobtrusive arrangements that wisely let his voice carry most of the weight.