Nai Palm of Hiatus Kaiyote’s Debut Solo Album Needle Paw

Photo: Prue Stent

The first thing that sprang to mind while listening to Nai Palm‘s debut solo album Needle Paw was, why ditch the band? After releasing two albums, Hiatus Kaiyote fame rose fast, with co-signs from Erykah Badu, Q-Tip, Kendrick Lamar, and Anderson .Paak. The Austrailian independent group eventually were signed to Sony subsidiary Flying Buddha and touring dates were plentiful; commercial success was imminent. We’ll never know what caused the break or if Hiatus Kaiyote is following the lead of Syd from The Internet by embarking on solo and collaborative projects. Needle Paw is an all-acoustic soul album using previous Hiatus Kaiyote songs and fan-favorite covers. What it highlights more than anything is Palm’s unique vocal style where the acoustic bare-bones approach works well in bringing her voice to the forefront, however, without the heavy bass and slapping drums, it feels like something is missing. “Crossfire / So Into You” and “Blackstar / Pyramid Song / Breathing Underwater” are the strongest songs on the album, and Palm definitely sets a calm mood with this collection of songs. Check it out below.

Needle Paw is out now. Listen to it on Spotify, Apple Music, and Soundcloud.

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Roseann V. Warren

Founder + Editorial Director at Muphoric Sounds
Roseann V. Warren is a Brooklyn, NY based freelance writer and developmental book editor, who proudly calls herself a member of the Prince army, and believes Hersey's chocolate is a hate crime. Follow her @webdiva3000