SAULT
Acts of Faith
Forever Living Originals
Listen Below
You know the deal by now, right? You’ll be minding your own business, drinking coffee or ironing—just generally going about your life as serenely as the modern world allows and then it happens. A tweet (or a skeet?) and then it spreads by “word of mouth.” A new SAULT album has emerged, blinking in the daylight like a new born pup, eager for your attention.
And so it was, this time, on Christmas Day, of all days—a day of many gifts, illuminated by an unexpected one. Acts of Faith was first heard of when the collective performed for the first time in December 2023. Their mammoth three-hour set was part gig, part performance piece and featured the tracks on this brief but worthwhile album.
Just as you may be familiar with the method of release and accompanying air of mystery, so will you be aware of what this album sounds like before pressing play. Relatively uncluttered drums, bass, keys and guitar backdrops to Cleo Sol’s expressive and shyly powerful voice are the order of the day here, as they have been for some time. Just as he did on Michael Kiwanuka’s recent album, Inflo produces the album to perfection—it is not quite so swaddled in plush velveteen, but his prowess is undeniable.
Lyrically, the album is (obviously) devoted to matters of the spirit and is fairly simplistic, often repeating the aphoristic title and not much else. It’s also best listened to as a whole, as songs flow into each other. This is exemplified by the transition from opening track “I Look for You” into “Set Your Spirit Free,” which is as smooth as a preacher’s silk vestments.
Listen to the Album:
Most songs are a smooth brand of soulful gospel that will be entirely familiar to anybody who has heard previous SAULT albums. But on “Soul Clean,” there is a pitch perfect, though frustratingly brief, slice of Blaxploitation era soul, while “Signs” is a jaunty piece of soul pop that wouldn’t sound out of place on a Daptone record. Final song “Pray for Me” is the highlight though, with more fully fledged lyrics and a stately pace that allows Cleo Sol’s testimony to shine.
In some senses, it is hard to imagine this album gaining the group any new followers, as there is nothing revolutionary in the way this sounds. So ultimately it depends if their oeuvre is your kind of thing or not. For me, it is a worthy addition to their ever-expanding discography that doesn’t sparkle or bristle in the way their best work does, but it is wholly worth thirty minutes of your time.
Notable Tracks: “I Look for You” | “Pray for Me” | “Soul Clean”
LISTEN: