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The first of two incredible albums released by the band this year is weapons-grade R&B and luxuriates in being unapologetically Black
Follow our countdown of the 50 best albums of 2020
In a recent essay for Harper’s magazine the author Garth Greenwell wrote about his problem with creating work that is described as “relevant”. He argued that there is “something demeaning about approaching art from a predetermined angle”, and that increasingly artists are being asked if their work is timely and therefore of importance.
No one knows whether Sault were asking themselves that question when they made Untitled (Black Is), the first of two incredible albums they put out this year. (The second, Untitled (Rise), came in at No 25 in our list.) Their motivations are opaque: the music tends to arrive with little more than a day’s notice and no information regarding the band’s members. Only later was it revealed that the collective included Little Simz producer Inflo, London-based vocalist Cleo Sol, the Chicago rapper Kid Sister and guests such as Mercury prize-winner Michael Kiwanuka. The album’s Juneteenth release date sent certain signals, but the music is our main clue as to their mindset. Continue reading...