Hiatus Kaiyote By Fire [Review][Amazon][iTunes][Google Play]
2014 started off strong for Aussie band Hiatus Kaiyote, who were riding high off their debut album, Tawk Tomahawk, and their subsequent nomination at the 56th Annual GRAMMY Awards for Best R&B Performance for single “Nakamarra.” And with the release of their three-song EP By Fire, they ended the year strong, too. A gift to fans to tide them over until the release of their next EP, By Fire found the quartet further testing experimental sounds on the EP’s trippy title track, flirting with hip hop on “Laputa” and doubling down on their jazz- and soul-inflected R&B sound with standout number “Molasses.” All in all, the group did more with three tracks than some artists did with entire albums last year, assuaging any doubt that their next full-length project will be anything less than brilliant. -- D-Money
