Mood Valiant
| Hiatus Kaiyote
Mood Valiant
Mood Valiant is the third studio album by Australian neo-soul quartet Hiatus Kaiyote, released in 2021 on Brainfeeder.
Critic Reviews
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PopMatters
Following six turbulent years, Australia’s Hiatus Kaiyote return with their third LP of neo-soul virtuosity, Mood Valiant. It’s effortlessly likable and rich with heart and soul.
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Pitchfork
No longer content with merely capturing the sound of four wildly talented musicians in a room together, the Australian “future soul” group transforms on their vibrant and psychedelic third album.
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NME
their most focused album with more classic songs than epic jams.
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The Guardian
their most coherent work yet.
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Clash Magazine
Altogether, 'Mood Valiant' is a joyous, frolicking ode to renewed life. It signals a strong return for Hiatus Kaiyote.
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Sputnik Music
An album that flowers in both sound and in theme, Mood Valiant is Hiatus Kaiyote’s most focused work yet.
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The AU Review
All those aforementioned tracks are very different in their own right, yet there is a theme and cohesion that permeates Mood Valiant throughout, be it the backing strings, Nai Palm’s unique vocals and, at times, playful lyrics, the band’s distinct sound, as well as a tempo that flows harmoniously.
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The Sydney Morning Herald
full marks for new genre-bending album by Hiatus Kaiyote.
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Riot Magazine
Back from their six-year hiatus, Australian jazz-funk band Hiatus Kaiyote have marked their return with a colourful new album that manages to evoke a plethora of emotions.
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Narc Magazine
CAMERON WRIGHT DISCOVERS SILKY 90S DRUM PATTERNS AND NEO-SOUL VOCALS ON HIATUS KAIYOTE’S NEW ALBUM.
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Treblezine
It’s different, certainly, but it’s as convincing and captivating as the best music Hiatus Kaiyote have ever made.
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All Music
The surface of the whole set sounds slightly scuffed, which has a way of making the material seem a little weathered and even more personal. That peaks with Palm's aching rasp on the chorus of "Red Room," a self-preservation soul ballad on the level of Georgia Anne Muldrow's "Roses." It's as if the singer is scratching an itch on the soul of the listener.
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The Needle Drop
Mood Valiant is a considerable improvement over Choose Your Weapon on the songwriting and performance fronts, though the production remains a bit of a weak link.
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Beats Per Minute
Surviving as they have, Hiatus Kaiyote sound livelier than before. Every inch of Mood Valiant drips with love and togetherness for the band, with no single contributor stealing the show for very long. Nai Palm can sing about something as unusual as being a horny slug or seahorse on “Chivalry is Not Dead”, but her words are never hung out to dry, they’re always complemented by Bender, Moss, and Mavin. This is a four-piece in every sense of the word, a band with unlimited potential thanks to their dedication to not just music but to each other.
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Exepose
While the highs of Mood Valiant never quite live up to the highs of their first two albums (listen to the track ‘Nakamarra’ if you want to hear them at their best with Q-Tip (!)), if you like Hiatus Kaiyote’s stuff, you’re probably going to like this too. It’s an easy listen and there are definitely enough great tracks to make it worth your time. The band sounds as good as ever together and I’m sure they would be even better live. Also, they have a really cool name.
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Jazz Revelations
Mood Valiant comes out in the wake of two health crises: Nai Palm’s battle with breast cancer and of course the COVID-19 Pandemic. During a lockdown, Hiatus Kaiyote found more time to work on the nuts and bolts of the album, resulting in the final space-soul product that is Mood Valiant.
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