When you have a line or phrase repeated so many times throughout one song, you can often decide pretty quickly whether you are going to like the song or not as, while always nice to listen to, some of the songs don’t really develop much more than when the first line comes in. While this is one of my favourite things about the album, it can also be one of its weaknesses. The simple lyrics are hypnotic, letting you focus on each of the musical components, emphasising the differences with each repetition. Every time she sings ‘I got a red room, it is the red hour when the sun sets in my bedroom’, you can imagine yourself in this room, sunset through the window and music just like this playing on the speakers. The lyrics here are very repetitive but here, and on most of the other tracks, this isn’t a problem. We have Moss’s drums, subtle but tight, Paul Bender’s bass with a smooth bassline, Mavin’s keys laying down the jazzy chords and Palm’s vocals riding over it all. ‘ Red Room’ is an effortlessly cool track and demonstrates the tactic that Hiatus Kaiyote are going for perfectly. Where ‘ Chivalry Is Not Dead’ shows them going all out with slap bass and huge synth lines, ‘ Red Room’ is simple, stripped right back: something which can be far more satisfying. You can imagine yourself in this room, sunset through the windowĮveryone involved in Mood Valiant is obviously very talented but while this shows on the album, the members know when to show off as well as when to hold back. But what is also effortless is the way that the group incorporates strings and horns into their sound, making the tracks sound grander and punch harder. The core four are as talented as ever and the grooves always sound effortless. The first thing that hits you when listening to Mood Valiant is just how great Hiatus Kaiyote sounds together. This album is more of the same which is in no way a bad thing. If you know them, you’d know to expect jazzy chords, tight drumming and Nai Palm’s powerful voice on top of it all.

Mood Valiant is the third album from Hiatus Kaiyote, a neo-soul group from Melbourne with a really cool name. George Ward reviews Hiatus Kaiyote’s latest album, Mood Valiant

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