Kaki King
Issue #35
Dreaming Of Revenge (Velour)
By Marisa Torrieri
Published: March 1st, 2008 | 2:50pm
Kaki King wasn’t at the top of everyone’s must-see performance list at CMJ 2006. After three nights of back-to-back shows all over lower Manhattan, press attending the annual NYC music fest were, understandably, a bit jaded. But the moment this indie guitarist hit the stage at Pianos with her fingers furiously strum-plucking up a hypnotic storm of works from her last album, …Until We Felt Red, King had the entire dimly lit nightclub hooked. As with her live shows, on Red, King used the guitar to transcend traditional notions about what guitars can do to create lush, intricate soundscapes.
Her follow-up, Dreaming of Revenge, is no less powerful. Only this time around, King and her producers sought to create a more accessible record. The result is something a bit less lullaby and a bit more pop, chock full of melodic hooks and upbeat, danceable numbers (like sexy opener “Bone Chaos In the Castle” and rockin’ riff-fed “Sad American”).
What really stands out here is her voice, once a tiny, high, wispy presence that served as an accompaniment. On Revenge, it’s full of strength and passion, demanding the attention once reserved for her masterful instrumental work. King’s especially in her element on “Life Being What It Is” and “2 O’Clock,” mixing emotion and technique, words and guitar.
Fans of Red certainly won’t be disappointed: Revenge is still rich with textured, layered, and ethereal works of art.
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