Hiatus Kaiyote – Love Heart Cheat Code
A gorgeous microcosm of sound, Love Heart Cheat Code is a perfect accompaniment for hazy summer days and nights
Hiatus Kaiyote are a rare breed. Respected and sampled by elites like Kendrick Lamar and both of the Carters (Jay-Z and Beyoncé), the Melbourne four-piece craft sensuously smooth grooves that are irresistibly cool. Red Room, taken from previous album Mood Valiant, put the band on the map for many listeners. With their follow-up Love Heart Cheat Code, they’re picking up where they left off.
Opener Dreamboat sets the wide-eyed, playful, yet cohesive feel to the album. Telescope nods to The Temptations’ classic My Girl, while their fuzzy and woozy interpretation of Jefferson Airplane’s White Rabbit gives a suitably psychedelic edge to the album.
Make Friends is a key highlight. Composed of only one verse, vocalist Naomi ‘Nai Palm’ Saalfield takes that same verse through three exquisite gender permutations (women, men, non-binary) to represent all of the people she loves in her own life who can often be denied the same inclusivity as others – 'You don’t make friends / You recognise them'. This same feeling of collective love permeates across the album, especially in moments such as Everything’s Beautiful.
A gorgeous microcosm of sound, Love Heart Cheat Code is a perfect accompaniment for hazy summer days and nights.
Listen to: Make Friends, Everything’s Beautiful