Dry, punchy drums and melodic basslines meet collective choral harmonies. A mysterious, rhythm-heavy transmission that bridges the gap between post-punk and neo-soul.
It's like a lost post-punk funk record found in a time capsule from the future.
A tense, rhythmic confidence that feels both celebratory and deeply guarded.
Released just months after their debut '5', SAULT's '7' solidified the group's reputation as one of the most intriguing and mysterious entities in modern British music. Produced by Inflo, the album continues the project's exploration of Black British identity through a lens of vintage soul, funk, and post-punk. The record is notable for its 'no-frills' approach to recording, utilizing a minimalist palette that emphasizes rhythm and collective vocal arrangements over solo virtuosity. Critics like Alexis Petridis noted its idiosyncratic path, comparing its jagged funk to ESG and early 80s boogie. The album serves as a bridge between the raw energy of their debut and the more expansive, orchestral protest music of their later 'Untitled' series. It remains a definitive example of the 'SAULT sound': high-mixed, melodic basslines, dry percussion, and a sense of urgent, communal purpose that feels both timeless and urgently contemporary.
Put this on for
Headphones tight, walking through the city while everyone else is asleepBasement party where the floorboards are actually vibratingThat specific 2am focus when the work finally starts making senseRain streaking the window and the radiator humming a low CDriving through a tunnel with the bass turned all the way upKitchen floor sitting after a night that changed everythingMorning coffee in a room still smelling like last night's incense
Moments worth waiting for
The sudden shift into a driving, post-punk bassline on 'No Bullshit' that demands immediate movement.
The way the group vocals on 'Smile and Go' create a haunting, communal wall of sound over a skeletal drum beat.
The deep, dub-influenced space at the end of 'Waterfalls' where the instruments slowly dissolve into reverb.
Sounds like
2019s production with a 2010s soul
Sits beside
Come Away with ESG - ESG, Journey in Satchidananda - Alice Coltrane, No Love Lost - The Rifffs, Black Focus - Yussef Kamaal
Lyrical territory
social_commentary, identity, self_examination
03Deviation
7 · vs · SAULT
Artist
This Album
Social_commentary
Lyrics · ↓ −11% less than usual
On this album, social_commentary sits about 11% less prominent than across the rest of the artist's catalogue.
