Review: Enigmatic Neo-Soul Collective Sault Peel Back Layers of Anonymity on Charming & Lush Surprise Album, ‘Acts of Faith’

British music act Sault emerge from the shadows with ‘Acts of Faith,’ an ethereal and forward-thinking soul project that further refines the band’s identity.

On July 6, British music collective Sault quietly uploaded new music onto the internet.

No tracklist. No promos. Just a good old fashioned shadow drop. A 32-minute-long .wav file of the band’s 11th album, Acts of Faith was uploaded to file sharing site WeTransfer as a free to download album – an act of near-secrecy that is anything but trendy. In an age of Spotify streaming and social media numbers, Sault have managed to keep about as low of a profile as one can have, yet one thing remains true: the band does not miss on the music.

If nothing else, Sault are known for maintaining a prolific work ethic. Acts of Faith follows a substantial 10 album in 5 years run, the band’s last 5 projects being released simultaneously in another free download stunt on WeTransfer in 2022. A self-proclaimed “offering to God,” the Goliath amount of content garnered attention for the band for their versatile musicality while firmly establishing Sault’s identity as one of the internet’s most enigmatic acts of the decade so far.

After some well deserved awards nominations, Sault gave fans a look under the veil. British producer Inflo, most notably known for his work with rapper Lil Simz, was revealed to be the mastermind behind Sault alongside singers Cleo Sol, Kid Sister, Chronixx and instrumentalists Kadeem Clarke and Jack Peñate. The group’s large cast draw inspiration from the fields of R&B, soul, funk, reggae, classical, and more; the band’s appeal lying in their old-school pastiche. Sault played their first ever live shows in December 2023 but, as per usual, the band left fans with little to no information about the future of the collective.

But none of this would mean much if the music weren’t so darn good. Acts of Faith’s appeal lies in its thoughtful presentation. The album runs as one continuous track with roughly a dozen different sections of warm, mesmerizing soul. The production is raw and highly stylized, maintaining a classic, lo-fi quality that is dreamlike, intimate, and highly immersive – a testament to Inflo’s production prowess.

Though a bit surreal, the album is never static; Sault smartly offer a nice amount of variety during the album’s shorter runtime. After solidifying the album’s smooth and relaxed aesthetic, the 11:30 mark offers a palette change with a dark, sultry, and criminally short funk interlude. The 19:00 mark exhibits a mesmerizing soul cut, calming the listener before kaleidoscopically morphing into an infectious dance number about 2 minutes later. Perhaps the most memorable moment on the album, the lengthy closing track ties the project together. Sticking true to Sault’s religious ideology, the song features a singer asking for prayer in order to gain more support in their journey to improve themselves. “I choose to grow … I choose to follow the path even when I am alone,” Cleo Sol belts, ending the album with a warm, heartfelt sentiment.

It is wild to think that shadow dropping a digital file on the internet is a thing of nostalgia (guys, Beyoncé’s self-titled dropped 10 years ago…).

While dropping .wav files online may feel like a gimmick, I would argue Sault is more than just an internet stunt. Acts of Faith is a warm and sincere album that reminds us great music can exist for the sake of great music. If Sault can find creative success while operating under this sentiment, then we are sure to see more great things to come from the band.

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Stream: ‘Acts of Faith’ – Sault

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