Sault - 11 [Forever Living Originals]

Dean Josiah Cover, also known as Inflo's collective Sault, has become one of the success stories of recent years: a project difficult to pigeonhole that continues to deliver inspired albums at an impressive rate. Their latest LP, 11, is another brilliant and essential work.

With a mostly lo-fi, relaxed, and fluid approach, the album offers an unpretentious take on soul, enriched with their usual nods to Afrobeat and sound system culture. The instrumentation is deliberately minimalist and stripped-back, based on bass, drums, and guitar, which further enhances its raw and authentic aesthetic.

The result is impeccable from start to finish, with the collective's vocals—both female and male—soaring over vintage-sounding grooves and arrangements that pay homage to Sly Stone, Cymande, and, in the warm and ethereal Higher, to the more melodic side of 80s British soul.