Hiatus Kaiyote

Tawk Tomahawk

BY Ryan B. PatrickPublished Jul 30, 2013

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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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