Choose Your Weapon
by Hiatus Kaiyote
Metascore
87

Universal acclaim - based on 7 Critic Reviews

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 7 out of 7
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 7
  3. Negative: 0 out of 7
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  1. HipHopDX
    May 8, 2015
    90
    They make poignant soul that’s fresh sounding at all angles. Most importantly, Choose Your Weapon stands on its own as one of the year’s best albums.
  2. AllMusic
    May 5, 2015
    90
    Within the context of a playlist, any one of a dozen songs here could bridge '50s bop to '60s MPB, or '70s art rock to '80s boogie, or '90s neo-soul to 2000s dubstep. Equally remarkable is that none of it seems devised. It's like these musicians simply radiate the stuff.
  3. The A.V. Club
    May 5, 2015
    83
    The complex, angular song structures beckon only to evade, bolting in unexpected directions just as they seem to settle into a groove.
  5. Mojo
    Jul 28, 2015
    80
    At 70 minutes long, there's a lot to digest but it's worth persevering with as repeated listens gradually unveil a musical universe unlike any other. [Sep 2015, p.89]
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  6. Clash Music
    May 8, 2015
    80
    The album's weakest points come in the shape of some unnecessary interludes that only act as murky limbos between its better parts.... Other than that, Hiatus Kaiyote have put together a project that is both vibrant and uninhibited in its nature.
  7. The Guardian
    May 5, 2015
    80
    Listening to Choose Your Weapon can hover between delirium and frustration, delight and outright annoyance, often in the very same beat.
  8. Exclaim
    May 5, 2015
    70
    Choose Your Weapon is a solid groove.

Awards & Rankings

17
#17 Best Album of 2015

User Reviews

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User Score
8.5

Universal acclaim- based on 69 Ratings

User score distribution:
  1. Positive: 59 out of 69
  2. Mixed: 7 out of 69
  3. Negative: 3 out of 69
  1. dijavantewow
    Dec 1, 2015
    10
    I would recommend this album to any interesting in experimental R&B / neo-soul. The lead singing has an interesting style and the beats takeI would recommend this album to any interesting in experimental R&B / neo-soul. The lead singing has an interesting style and the beats take such unusual twists and turns. This is one of my favorite albums of 2015 and was an issue choice to buy on vinyl.… Full Review »
  2. ruedall
    Aug 24, 2015
    10
    Hiatus Kaiyote's Choose Your Weapon is a complete album experience, served best by a full listening. The band creates a tapestry of diverseHiatus Kaiyote's Choose Your Weapon is a complete album experience, served best by a full listening. The band creates a tapestry of diverse images while maintaining a strong sense of continuity: while tracks like Swamp Thing, Fingerprints, and By Fire sound like they ought not be by the same artist, let alone on the same record, they all share a similar harmonic pentatonic "fingerprint", as it were; the same goes for Atari and Prince Minikid, which share a single-step chord change despite having significantly different musical surfaces. Nai Palm's carefully-weaved and complex vocal harmonies complement her incredible, incendiary lead performance. Perrin Moss is, somehow, always both on and off the beat, handling complex time changes and rhythmic complexities with apparent ease. Simon Mavin on keyboards and Paul Bender on bass both demonstrate nothing short of virtuosity on their respective instruments: Bender lays the bass on thick on tracks such as Swamp Thing and provides intricate counterpoint on Molasses, while Mavin creates a varied ethereal soundscape with his synthesizer that defines and permeates the album. Choose Your Weapon is an album for the ages, and fortunately for all of us is only the sophomore effort of this most up-and-coming band, Hiatus Kaiyote.… Full Review »
  3. MELODIKTRIBE
    May 11, 2015
    9
    Modern, Expire-mental, and a great understanding of R&B.
    Pros:
    Chord progressions on point, nice sense of melody, pretty production all over    Modern, Expire-mental, and a great understanding of R&B.
    Pros:
    Chord progressions on point, nice sense of melody, pretty production all over it, psychedelic vibes, and top notch vocals. What more could you ask for?
    Cons:
    Lacks a little bit of dynamics, could use a stronger sense of harmony, not very memorable, nothing spectacular.    … Full Review »
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