Hiatus Kaiyote Tawk Tomahawk

Melbourne, Australia's Hiatus Kaiyote have been making the blogosphere rounds of late, largely on the strength of smooth joint "Nakamarra." Realizing they're onto something, the "future soul" group double-down on that track with new album Tawk Tomahawk, adding a "remix" that features legendary rapper Q-Tip to complete the neo-soul throwback aesthetic. The Aussie band mix it up on a non-conformist slant, freely flinging about elements of jazz, rock, electronic and groove into the pot, in the hopes something sticks. What does come across is a pretence-free, imperfectly experimental vibe that maintains a satisfying consistency throughout its ten abstractly titled tracks. Lead singer Nai Palm and the rest of the band are still finding their collective voice — "Mobius Streak" veers a bit towards navel-gazing. However, "Malika," "Lace Skull" and the heavy rotation-worthy "Nakamarra" reveal a refined looseness that promises Hiatus Kaiyote are here to stay and will only get better with time. (Sony)

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