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Yet that hasn't happened - not at all the half-decade silence which preceded Mood Valiant hasn't dulled its Melbourne-based authors' compositional smarts and external forces haven't strong-armed them into adopting a more conservative sonic approach. It's easy to imagine, therefore, that Mood Valiant's songs could've fallen flat that they might well have seemed lacking somehow, as though the band - trapped, as they were, in a vacuum outside of the typical album-tour-album cycle - might've found themselves limited by a certain disconnect from their prospective audience. It ends with the beautiful mantra “I want to be close to your molecules” – a lovely image that’s almost spiritual in its open-hearted, transcendental perspective.If nothing else, the album marks a triumph of maturation in the face of adversity it's never easy for a well-liked band to return after a lengthy absence (six years, in Hiatus Kaiyote's case) - much less so in the midst of a global pandemic which long ago put the kibosh on large-scale touring. Album highlight “Chivalry Is Not Dead” is sheer ecstasy, a virtuosic slice of future funk that features wonderful lyrics imagining two people as “seahorses” and “hummingbirds”. Mood Valiant is a celebration of the richness of life, in all its different shapes and forms. These seemingly minor adornments are actually a smart thematic decision. “Get Sun” and “Hush Rattle” even make use of lush, natural sounds, further underscoring the teeming, vibrantly alive quality of Mood Valiant. Every track contains creative high points – “Red Room’s” laid-back groove and effortless melodies are captivatingly evocative, “Get Sun” (featuring legendary bossa nova composer Arthur Verocai) lives up to its bright, joyous title, while “Rose Water’s” tribal funk is layered beneath ethereal vocals and lush strings that entrance like a shamanic spell. The amount of color, movement, and life on display is simply a joy to behold. Listening to the album is a journey through a vibrant jungle. Following all of the turbulence that its creators faced, Mood Valiant is brilliantly bright and colorful – rich and complicated but always hopeful and deeply in love with life. Mood Valiant implies resolute strength, a will to remain courageous and determined. The clue to this tone is in the album’s title. Following a wild 18 months, Mood Valiant is set to provide the perfect soundtrack to a summer where many of us are starting to see the light again. Mood Valiant by Hiatus Kaiyote Mood Valiant by Hiatus Kaiyoteįortunately, the finished product is more than worth the wait. These circumstances, combined with the small matter of the pandemic, meant that the wait for Mood Valiant was longer than anyone, least of all the band, would have wanted. However, work on the album was temporarily halted. Following a life-saving operation in Australia, she thankfully recovered. In 2018, deep into the process of recording Mood Valiant, Nai Palm (real name: Naomi Saalfield) was diagnosed with breast cancer. They have some friends in high places (including known fan Drake), and in March signed to Flying Lotus’ label Brainfeeder – one of the most respected indie labels in North America. While they are still a way off becoming a household name, the group’s undeniable ability and immense likeability mean that further success is all but guaranteed. Mood Valiant comes six years after its predecessor Choose Your Weapon, and in that time, Hiatus Kaiyote have turned into something of a cult act. Thus, they have spent their career breaking them apart and building them anew. Built on a combination of endlessly creative instrumentation and Nai Palm’s ridiculously charismatic vocals, they’re one of those bands that from day one had mastered the generic conventions. Dating right back to their 2013 debut Tawk Tomahawk, Hiatus Kaiyote have proved themselves as young masters of jazz, funk, and neo-soul. Even a cursory listen to a Hiatus Kaiyote track reveals an immediate truth – the Melbourne quartet can play.