Review

Hiatus Kaiyote: Mood Valiant (Brainfeeder Records/Ninja Tune)

Twice Grammy-nominated Melbourne-based group Hiatus Kaiyote return with new album, Mood Valiant. Members Naomi “Nai Palm” Saalfield (guitar, vocals), Paul Bender (bass), Simon Mavin (keys) and Perrin Moss (drums) follow up their impressive 2015 long player “Choose Your Weapon” with another first-class album packed with yet more must-hear sounds from a group in majestic form.

The new project has materialised after being sampled by The Carters (Beyonce & Jay-Z), Kendrick Lamar, Anderson .Paak, Chance The Rapper and Drake—with whom Nai Palm collaborated on his “Scorpion” album. To say their mood is ebullient is an understatement. More bands need to think like this, take their time and they too will deliver a tour-de-force such as this. How they manage to sound so effortless is beyond me they have their finger on the pulse and always manage to sound fresh and invigorating. It's full of sun-blessed deep cuts that swoop and dive around the solid earth-bound rhythm section and a perfect endpoint for this colour-saturated, sonic palette of this band's musical universe.

Frontwomen Nai Palm has never sounded better, her stacked vocals are lush and her brush with death seems to have given her extra zeal and creative abundance. And a dream came true working with Brazilian arranger Arthur Verocai who added strings and horns to the scintillating “Get Sun”. Lolloping rhythms are the order of the day, music that teases and plays with your senses, sometimes languid and carefree, other times energy spiralling upwards touching your pineal gland. Cosmic vibes for the sun-worshipping tribes portraying a stunning display of raw talent and not wallowing indulgence.
Words Emrys Baird