We were pretty sure that we were going to be waiting to get our SAULT fix after the enigmatic group — clandestinely led by the husband and wife duo of producer Inflo and singer-songwriter Cleo Sol and their unnamed cadre of collaborators — gave us a blessing with their album Acts Of Faith this past Christmas. Then the group’s Instagram profile started dropping hints of more to come with an album cover and then clips of songs. All this teasing finally culminated in the recent release of the group’s 12th album, 10.
Now that some of that some of the air of their mystery has been let out, partly due to the endless searching of their fanbase and former collaborator Little Simz filing a lawsuit against Inflo over a substantial unpaid debt, the collective has infused it into their newest effort. That’s mainly because, rather than naming the songs with traditional names, each track is instead represented by initials. A cursory listen to each reveals what those initials probably stand for.
But the point, as always, is the music — and the music is exquisite. Though not as overtly inspirational as Acts Of Faith, themes of Christianity are still deeply baked into the songs here, even if they’re not always the focus. It begins with the syncopated funk of “T.H.,” which focuses on the healing touch of God’s love over percolating percussion and ’80s funk-inspired synths and horns. It moves on to “R.L.,” which tucks into a bit of boogie complete with horns, bass, flute and rhythm guitar as Cleo sings of a real love that can’t be beat.
The album continues in this vein, with obvious nods to Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and others throughout as they dibble and dabble in different styles and genres to great success. Along the way are more than a few standouts — including the smooth and uplifting “K.T.Y.W.S.,” the brokenhearted beauty of “S.I.T.L.,” the sparse and funky “W.A.L.” and disco-tinged closer “S.O.T.H.”
Twelve albums and two EPs in, and SAULT has yet to miss. If you want to have a complete musical experience, then waste no time in giving this one a spin.
SAULT 10 [Amazon][Apple Music][Bandcamp][TIDAL]
