Untitled (Rise)
| Untitled (Rise) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 18 September 2020 | |||
| Genre | R&B[1] | |||
| Length | 50:32 | |||
| Label | Forever Living Originals | |||
| Producer | Inflo | |||
| Sault chronology | ||||
| ||||
Untitled (Rise) is the fourth studio album from British R&B musical group Sault. The album has been met with positive critical reception.
Critical reception
[edit]| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 8.7⁄10[2] |
| Metacritic | 93/100[3] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [4] |
| Beats Per Minute | 81%[5] |
| Clash | 9/10[6] |
| The Guardian | [7] |
| Louder Than War | [8] |
| Pitchfork | 8.0/10[9] |
On the review aggregator website Metacritic, Untitled (Rise) received "universal acclaim" based on a weighted average score of 93 out of 100 from six critics.[3] At AnyDecentMusic?, the editorial staff rate the album 8.7 out of 10, with six reviews.[2] Alexis Petridis of The Guardian gave the album five out of five stars, saying that Sault had released the best album of the year again, following Untitled (Black Is) and points out the exceptional musicianship, writing that the album "hardly yields highlights because the quality never wavers: whoever’s involved, it feels like they’ve been galvanised to the top of their game".[7] Jem Aswad of Variety accentuates how timely the work is, with the worldwide response to the George Floyd protests and struggles of black peoples in the United States and United Kingdom, writing, "Sault seduces listeners, drawing them in with beautiful sounds, and then hits them with uncompromisingly direct lyrics and messages that startle them into thinking about things they might not normally think about... [their music] is definitively 2020, by, for and about these times".[1] In Clash, Robin Murray gave this album nine out of 10, also noting how the lyrics discuss contemporaneous issues, noting the diverse musical influences, from Brazilian rhythm to 1980s "boogie shimmer".[6] Jeremy Monroe of Beats Per Minute scored this 81 out of 100, calling listening to Untitled (Rise) a "thrilling experience" with a spiritual dimension.[5] Gordon Rutherford of Louder Than War gave this 4.5 out of five bombs, calling it a "another stab at winning the award for album of the year", following Untitled (Black Is).[8] Reviewing the album for AllMusic, Andy Kellman felt that it was Sault's "most striking and affecting work yet."[4]
For Pitchfork, Marc Hogan gave a positive review the track "Fearless", calling it a highlight of the album that "pairs impeccably stylish, laid-back R&B with a message that meets the current moment".[10]
| Issuer | Listing | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| AllMusic[11] | AllMusic Best of 2020 | N/A |
| The Guardian[12] | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 25 |
| Mercury Prize[13] | Album of the Year | Listed |
| Mojo[14] | 75 Best Albums of 2020 | 52 |
| Rough Trade[15] | Albums of the Year 2020 | 1 |
| Stereogum[16] | The 50 Best Albums of 2020 | 9
|
Track listing
[edit]- "Strong" (Dean Josiah Cover and Cleopatra Nikolic) – 6:18
- "Fearless" (Cover and Nikolic) – 4:09
- "Rise" (Cover and Melisa Young) – 1:01
- "I Just Want to Dance" (Cover and Nikolic) – 4:21
- "Street Fighter" (Cover and Nikolic) – 3:09
- "Son Shine" (Kadeem Clarke, Cover, and Nikolic) – 3:16
- "Rise Intently" (Cover) – 0:50
- "The Beginning & The End" (Cover and Young) – 3:38
- "Free" (Cover and Nikolic) – 5:05
- "You Know It Ain't" (Cover and Young) – 3:26
- "Uncomfortable" (Cover and Nikolic) – 3:16
- "No Black Violins in London" (Cover and Young) – 1:28
- "Scary Times" (Cover) – 3:39
- "The Black & Gold" (Clarke and Cover) – 3:04
- "Little Boy" (Cover and Nikolic) – 3:52
Personnel
[edit]Sault
- Kadeem Clarke
- Dean Josiah "Inflo" Cover
- Cleopatra "Cleo Sol" Nikolic
- Melisa Young
Chart performance
[edit]| Chart | Peak | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom (Official Charts: Album Downloads.[17] | 20 | 1 week |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Aswad, Jem (18 September 2020). "Sault's Untitled (Rise) Seduces Listeners with Sumptuous R&B, Then Startles with Powerful Messaging". Variety. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ a b "(Untitled) Rise by Sault reviews". AnyDecentMusic?. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ a b "Untitled (Rise) by Sault". Metacritic. Retrieved 2 December 2020.
- ^ a b Kellman, Andy. "Untitled (Rise) – Sault". AllMusic. Retrieved 26 November 2020.
- ^ a b Monroe, Jeremy (15 October 2020). "Album Review: SAULT – Untitled (Rise)". Beats Per Minute. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ a b Murray, Robin (21 September 2020). "Sault – Untitled (Rise)". Clash. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ a b Petridis, Alexis (17 September 2020). "Sault: Untitled (Rise) Review – Mystery Collective Make Best Album of 2020, Again". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ a b Rutherford, Gordon (11 October 2020). "Sault: Untitled (Rise)". Louder Than War. Retrieved 15 November 2020.
- ^ Jessica Kariisa (24 December 2020). "SAULT: Untitled (Black Is) / Untitled (Rise) Album Review". Pitchfork. Retrieved 1 July 2021.
- ^ Hogan, Marc (18 September 2020). "SAULT: "Fearless" Track Review"". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 12 November 2022.
- ^ "The 50 Best of 2020". AllMusic. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums of 2020: the Full List". The Guardian. 18 December 2020. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
- ^ "2021 Hyundai Mercury Prize 'Albums of the Year' revealed..." mercuryprize.com. Retrieved 25 July 2021.
- ^ "75 Best Albums of 2020". Mojo (326). London, England, United Kingdom: 40. January 2021. ISSN 1351-0193.
- ^ "Albums of the Year 2020". Rough Trade. 10 November 2020. Retrieved 11 November 2020.
- ^ "The 50 Best Albums Of 2020". Stereogum. 1 December 2020. Retrieved 3 December 2020.
- ^ "Official Album Downloads Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. 25 September 2020. Retrieved 20 November 2022.
External links
[edit]- Untitled at Discogs (list of releases)
- Untitled at MusicBrainz (list of releases)
- Aggregate reviews from Album of the Year
- Review from Album Reviews blog
- Review from Albumism
