Melbourne-based group Hiatus Kaiyote cannot be described by any singular genre. They dance between neo-soul, R&B and jazz-funk within a matter of minutes, leaving their listeners in what can only be described as an LSD-infused soundscape.
With their fourth studio album, the group sounds more united than in their previous records, where the albeit mesmerizing synth riffs washed out the true star of their show: lead vocalist Nai Palm. Her 2017 solo album Needlepaw freed her from this issue as she bared her soul with heartwrenching honesty in tracks such as “Homebody” and “Atoll”.
In this this latest LP we finally see glimpses of Nai Palm untethered. Eleventh track “Stone or Lavender” strips back to the essentials: Piano and strings lifting up the pleading message the singer delivers: Some day it will be okay. I had the pleasure of attending the pre-release listening event for this album and may I add: there was not a dry eye at this point.
Much like in all their previous releases, Hiatus Kaiyote delivers as broad a range of emotion in this album as you could wish for. Standout track “All The Words We Don’t Say” steps away from the ballads and heartbreak for a syncopated, danceable power track. The chorus repeats the title with pure conviction, shouting out to anyone who feels they leave too much unspoken, too much bottled up. This is Nai Palm’s strength in her songwriting, though her songs read like a haiku with vivid, natural imagery she is not afraid to say exactly what she means. We find a similar honesty in the tenth track “Sparkle Tape Break Up”, where she fills the verses with Warahtah flowers and Deadly nightshade before delivering the innermost message of the track like a punch in the gut: “Maybe if I was hard and not so emotional”. Nai Palm-1, My feelings-0.
I have very few criticisms of this album, and Haitus Kaiyote are one of those bands where if you don’t enjoy something, you assume you’re just not getting it. Only a couple of tracks don’t find their home on my playlists, “And We Go Gentle” being the only full length one.
Hiatus Kaiyote have achieved the potential they showed in their previous albums in what is undeniably their best album yet.
Rating: 9/10
Nuwanda Reviews 