Opener “Strong” is one of the more experimental tracks on the record, taking us through multiple phases. The first of these is dreamy, with strings and synths and a really infectious melody throughout the verses, in which the lyrics focus on being proud of and loving their identity despite having to fight to do so. The second is more acoustic, featuring a beautiful vocal harmony too, with lyrics looking at staying strong in the face of adversity. We then move into a more instrumental passage, with percussion at the forefront, before moving back to the dreamy sound of the start of the song. What jumps out straight away, aside from powerful lyrics, is the excellent production and mixing here, with a really thick bassline that fails to distract from the lovely synth and vocal melodies.
“Fearless” is sonically a little more mellow and in comparison but it still brings some urgency into the chorus with the strings and the drumming. The instrumentals are also a bit tighter, making for a cleaner-sounding track – though the rougher style of “Strong” also suits it. The lyrics here really speak to the pain caused by racism, feeling like they want to cry. As such, it’s a really powerful track, at times sombre and at others, as the title would suggest, a statement of fearlessness. After a brief spoken-word interlude with “Rise”, we are given the insatiably catchy “I Just Want to Dance”. While the chorus does have you wanting to dance, particularly thanks to the groovy bass line which carries it along, there is a fairly long, more low-key passage which can feel a little out of place. However, it does help to view the lyrics of “I just wanna dance, dance, dance, dance” in a slightly different light: they aren’t just about feeling carefree, they’re about wanting to escape to that carefree state from the anger caused by needless deaths of black people.
“Street Fighter” unfortunately ends the run of form up to this point. While it grows into itself, the slightly chaotic sound feels more clunky than it does energetic. The chanted lyrics work really nicely but they are, frustratingly, a little too low in the mix to have the impact that they deserve. “Son Shine” follows this, with more of a jazzy, gospel style, showing Sault’s impressive aesthetic range. It’s hard to pick out any actual issues with this track, but it’s just a little forgettable in the context of the album – though I think that speaks more to the strength of the other tracks than its own weakness.
“The Beginning & the End” is one such strong track, taking a really interesting approach. Vocally, it sounds like it could be a rallying speech at a protest, followed by a chopped-up chorus. Instrumentally, it is more sparse than previous tracks, but not lacking any of the energy or urgency as a result. It’s different, it’s effective, it’s powerful, and it’s Sault in a nutshell. “Free” is quite a stark stylistic and thematic change, but one so funky that you can’t complain. “You Know It Ain’t” takes us back to the spoken-word vocals and race-issue-related lyrics. It’s potentially quite a controversial track, which aims to call out virtue signallers, using the boom in awareness of these issues to try to boost their clout. What’s most stark about the spoken-word tracks on this album is the charisma of the vocalist, who is really able to effectively adapt into being a voice actor for these tracks, giving the statements a real potency. This is particularly the case for “No Black Violins in London”. Due to the anonymous nature of Sault as a group, though, it’s not clear if this is the same vocalist as on the other tracks.
“Scary Times” is much slower than the other tracks here, but no less impactful. It focuses on the emotional effect of watching people being killed at the hands of the police, with sombre piano and stirring string instrumentals to accompany. Their focus on the fear they live with is a really important reminder of how racism affects people: it’s not just about those who die and their families, it’s about everyone. Despite only three short verses, this track is still able to say a lot.
“The Black & Gold”, the penultimate track on the album, is the only one which is entirely instrumental. While it manages to hold the tone of the rest of the album, it starts to drag on a little by the end. We then have the closer, “Little Boy”, which is my favourite track on the album. Compared to the rest of the album, it feels a little more conventional, but it is no worse off for this. The singing is beautiful, the production is perfect, and the instrumentals are so smooth.
Despite the increased awareness of issues of racism this year, what was missing from the discourse was the emotional effects thereof. This album feels like an answer to that, focusing on the fear, insecurity and anger that it creates, while also suggesting a need to stay strong. As such, the lyrics are potent, making this a quintessential 2020 album. On top of this, there is a very unique aesthetic to this album, making it sonically intriguing too, with some top-notch production and excellent vocal performances. There are definitely some tracks which don’t quite stick like others, but overall this is a really strong album, one which will be key to look back on when reflecting.
- Ben Scrimgeor - stilllisteningmagazine.com
