SAULT have officially released ‘Acts of Faith’, their surprise album from earlier this year.
The mysterious collective first shared ‘Acts of Faith’ in July, with the whole album available as a single 32-minute .wav file. Since then, fans have requested an official release.
In the lead-up to Christmas, they took to their official Twitter/X account to share a short clip of album closer ‘Pray For Me’, on December 20.
Then, on Christmas day, SAULT shared a link to the album and its cover, writing: “ACTS OF FAITH- Album officially released today.” You can listen here.
‘Acts of Faith’ debuted last December, when SAULT played their spectacularly immersive first-ever live show. The performance also included appearances from Little Simz and Michael Kiwanuka.
Shortly afterwards, the collective suggested that there would be several more concerts around the world in the near future, although these have yet to materialise.
According to a social media post, the shows were to showcase their album ‘5’ in New York, ‘Black’ in Los Angeles, ‘Untitled (Rise)’ in Canada, ‘11’ in Germany, ‘Air’ in Paris and ‘Earth’ in Africa at some point.
SAULT have never officially confirmed their bandmembers; however, producer Inflo is generally regarded as the leader, with Cleo Sol, Kid Sister, Chronixx and more providing uncredited vocals.
In January, André 3000 said that he had plans to record a collaboration with the group and confirmed that he had spent time in the studio with them.
Speaking to BBC Radio 6 Music, the OutKast rapper said: “A musician friend turned me on to them when they were in their secrecy stage. So he connected me with them.”
“You know, we hung out, went to the studio, messed around a bit… yeah. And once I was turned on to them, I kind of listened to what was done before. I think they’d only had like one or two albums out at that time.”
Host Gilles Peterson then asked Benjamin if he had recorded any music with SAULT, and whether fans could “look forward to” hearing it. “We can look forward to it in the future,” he responded.
In a four-star review of 2021’s ‘Nine’, NME wrote: “Once again, Sault demonstrate the power of words and just how impactful music can be. It’s impossible not to feel affected by the stories being told.”
“Despite ‘Nine’s sadness, Sault channel optimism and hope for a brighter future into their songs. Coupled with twinkling piano keys, the album’s poignant closing words offer a lifeline: ‘Don’t ever lose yourself / You can always start again’.“
NEWS
Music photographer Jill Furmanovsky said she wasn’t taken aback by the overwhelming excitement surrounding the Oasis reunion tour.
The photographer has been capturing the Wonderwall hitmakers for more than thirty years and shared that the Oasis Live '25 Tour, which brought Noel and Liam Gallagher back on stage together for the first time in 16 years, worked so well because the concerts have always been “about the audience”.
Jill, who first crossed paths with Oasis at one of their early shows at the Cambridge Corn Exchange in 1994, explained to NME: “It didn’t catch us off guard, because Oasis have always been about the crowd. Always. There was never much to shoot on stage.
“Even at the Cambridge Corn Exchange, the performance itself was simple, but the people in the crowd knew every word and were completely swept up in it.
“And that hasn’t really changed over time. They just bring out that songbook and deliver it. Liam is still magnetic and captivating, even when he keeps it minimal. It remains incredibly powerful. That’s the essence of their show.”
Furmanovsky, who has photographed icons like Bob Dylan and Led Zeppelin over the course of her fifty-year career, added: “What they’ve done with this new tour, the production, and the visuals… it’s something special.
“The mix of generations in the crowd is also striking. I went with my 13-year-old granddaughter, and there were plenty of kids her age singing along word for word. It’s incredible.
“‘Biblical’ is the term people throw around. It sounds almost silly, but when two brothers who’ve been at odds for years come together again, there really is something biblical about that alone. Combine it with what they’re putting on stage… it’s unlike anything else.”
Jill’s latest book Trying To Find A Way Out Of Nowhere reflects her years documenting Oasis, and she shared that no current act matches what the Supersonic band represents. She was also able to photograph them once again at one of their massive Wembley Stadium shows during the reunion tour.
She said: “There aren’t many artists today who can step into the space Oasis occupies and actually live up to it.
“We’re in a different time now, a kind of in-between phase. It feels like the closing of a rock ‘n’ roll chapter. That doesn’t mean talent or creativity is gone. It’s like with painting — we still have great impressionists, but we’re no longer living in the impressionist era.”
