Far from the full throttle funk of Hiatus Kaiyote but still every bit as arresting, Nai Palm’s 2017 solo debut Needle Paw shows off her vocal talent and emotional sensibilities. A minimal palette of vocals and guitar bears witness to luscious vocal harmonies and R&B melismas, husky low registers and soaring falsettos, and rejoicing ensembles backed by deft guitar picking. Amidst her own captivating songs are daunting covers of musical legends, ‘Blackstar’ in particular is an effortless translation into Nai Palm’s sonic world with layers of distortion and ominously sweet harmonies.