"At times, he can push his influences a little hard -- "Hey Mama" is essentially a mash note to Van Morrison -- but the impressive thing about Tearing at the Seams is how he and his band seem to be synthesizing their clear influences into their own voice. That's why Tearing at the Seams works, even if it doesn't have a song as undeniable as "S.O.B.": listening to it, it's evident that Nathaniel Rateliff & the Night Sweats are in it for the long haul".