Sault - Air Vinyl 2LP

SAULT’s sixth album, AIR, marks a striking departure from the band’s signature funk, disco, and soul-infused sound, embracing a lush, contemporary classical approach. Opening with “Reality,” a swelling arrangement of strings, horns, and choral voices, the album channels avant-garde influences while centering themes of self-care and the celebration of Black identity. Tracks like “Luos Higher” draw on the musical traditions of Kenya’s Luo people, while “Heart” evokes an Alice Coltrane–inspired spiritual journey, and the 13-minute suite “Solar” nods to the kinetic energy of Julius Eastman’s Femenine. Despite largely wordless compositions, AIR conveys an emotional urgency that makes it SAULT’s most intimate and personal work to date, demonstrating the group’s ability to reinvent their sound while remaining grounded in cultural and personal expression.