Sault - What's the story?

The Cleo album is definitely my record of the year even among stiff competition from Sault themselves. It's just so interesting, she's put her life out there. I'm in love.

I seem to be a bit of the inverse from others here - love all their albums but Black Is has really connected with me, whereas I think Rise might be the weakest of the bunch. Although as a unified statement I like them together - I like the thematic contrasts between them.

I'm inclined to agree with you, pg. But ranking them seems unfair, at least in the case of SAULT, as the two albums feel like two parts of a greater statement. And that's also nearly leaving out that all three feel very much like instant classics.

The fact one can differenciate meaningfully between four albums made in <24 months--while recognizing all are incredibly good--is amazing.

Even if they never put out another record, I feel like these four would grow in stature purely through word-of-mouth for years to come.

But clearly they're on such a roll I doubt the project will be retired any time soon...

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

Sault - Wildfires and Cleo Sol - Why don’t you are perhaps the highlights but personally the rest change all the time, these days Little Boy and Rose in the Dark are the respective ones I’ve been obssesed with.

I dunno when they uploaded it but Rise is now on their website for free download like Black Is was

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

Maybe we should set up a poll of the two 2020 albums' tracks, and just all of us who are really into them just commit to putting in the top three or four vote-getters, to avoid vote diffusion?

I like this idea, although I'd throw in the Cleo Sol album too.

Or maybe we'd have to run it as a miniature version of the various POLL [Artist X's Oeuvre] threads, so people could choose a personal top 5 or top 10, rather than just voting for a single track as "the favorite"?

while ya'll're getting that sorted, here's a cool pic from cleo's instagram stories this morning:

https://i.imgur.com/In9fhuw.jpg

brilliant.

Saw a short write-up about the new album in the latest New Yorker. They mentioned that Kid Sister is also part of the group in addition to Inflo and Cleo Sol. (Maybe that’s been mentioned upthread? I feel like ILM has mostly been focused on Inflo and Cleo.) I’m not familiar with her work but a quick look on Spotify, seems like she’s been around about a decade.

yeah kid sister is a known member but has probably been discussed less bc she hasn't really done much recently while inflo's been all over the place and there's this year's wonderful album from cleo. since she started working with inflo all she's released outside of sault is this track last year:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xEfwqCnsRlo

the one other known contributor who no one's really discussed yet here is blk vnyl/kadeem clarke who has writing credits on a few tracks on black is and rise. i can't find that much about him but he produced "one life, might live" by little simz this year and he's played keys live for her and michael kiwanuka, so he's certainly part of that whole scene.

Getting some love on Bandcamp, which stands to reason as it's been in their top 8 sellers since its release:

https://daily.bandcamp.com/album-of-the-day/sault-untitled-rise-review?utm_source=notification

kid sister is the sister of one of the dudes from flosstradamus & did a song called "pro nails" with kanye like 13 years ago

I know Kid Sister was mentioned upthread, I think of her as doing the more shouty/post-punk type vocals?

Idk if I've said it but this is a very good Sault album, up there with the best Sault albums.

xp

Dang that Kid Sister track is a great Sault-not-Sault track

also prefigures the strings on the new record

DAMN what a track... If she puts out an (Inflo-produced) album this year, I'm declaring Sault & Co. the best thing in this fucked world. Might do anyway.

kid sister is the sister of one of the dudes from flosstradamus & did a song called "pro nails" with kanye like 13 years ago

― ILX’s bad boy (D-40), Thursday, October 1, 2020 2:39 PM (two hours ago) bookmarkflaglink

i was wondering if it was THAT kid sister haha, guess so.

she did a track with david banner that i shamefully loved circa 2008

rise is brilliant

it really is.

I had been sleeping on Sault, which was dumb of me. I've now come to my senses and bought all of their albums.

I wouldn't have thought they would work as lockdown listening but they totally do.

Liking 5 and 7 more than the Untitleds. It's all good though.

rise really is brilliant though

Aoty.

If there are end-of-the-year album lists this year...

I have to imagine Sault is going to make a lot of individual lists, and maybe some voted lists (with risk of vote-splitting between the two albums). Pretty amazing for a group (?) that has had almost no significant press/reviews, and has become beloved pretty much solely on the basis of word-of-mouth and just how intrinsically fantastic their music is.

Rise vinyl doormatting! Hope everyone who ordered is getting theirs. Perfect Friday evening listening.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CH8-3Z7n9lz/?igshid=197codjd5ysdn

Can confirm Pitchfork is still unclued: neither album auto-loads in their reader poll.

I suppose it only loads albums they reviewed through the year?

"Don't Waste My Time" spotted in an episode of Netflix's You. Wuuuut.

Up All Night has appeared in a few:

https://www.tunefind.com/artist/sault

We need to settle for around 4 tracks for Sault and 3 for Cleo Sol when nomming for the EOY polls or they wont make it due to all the vote slipping.

― ✖✖✖ (Moka)

we haven't sort this out, yet. wildfires beeing obv (?), for consideration: stop dem; sorry ain't enough; why we cry why we die

Could poll the tracks off the 3 albums and see which ones float to the top

Wildfires, Free, I Just Want To Dance, Little Boy

Wildfires is one of my top 10 songs of the year. I’d definitely pick that one. Dog latin’s pick seem to be the general favorites.

For Cleo Sol my personal favorite is “Rose in the Dark” but I think the most popular one is “why don’t you” - also an amazing song tbh.

So the newest one is completely sold out in all physical formats already? Awesome. Gotta say I love this new system of having to check bandcamp on just exactly the right days in order to buy a new album.

Have they been reupping stuff now and then? Or is that it?

Gotta say I love this new system of having to check bandcamp on just exactly the right days in order to buy a new album.

if you follow an artist you'll get notified.

Yeah, I do follow some. I just haven't checked Sault out yet, but all the year-end buzz got me curious. Liked what I heard and wanted to support them by ordering the CD, but that's gone already. Seems like not great timing with the EOY hype they're getting.

Would vote for Rose in the Dark but When I'm in Your Arms probably my fave xps

Ah, i see. i reckon they will repress.

i've got to know what's in that third panel, it's killing me. couldn't someone at least describe it?

ah, wrong thread.

lol, maybe they will sneak out a third album this year, but i doubt it

Hard Life is my choice, personally.

"strong", "i just want to dance" and "fearless" are my favs from them this year