King's guitar bewitching

With her fourth release in a little less than four years, Kaki King is blazing a trail that combines precious lyrics and harmonies with more mainstream independent/alternative rock. Her latest release, Dreaming of Revenge, not only reconnects fans with music that resembles her previous three albums, but also tries to gain an even bigger audience with a sound that fits into the realm of today’s music world.

Dreaming of Revenge fluently mixes its instrumental and vocal aspects. The opener, “Bone Chaos In the Castle,” sets the tone for the whole album. Its dreamlike guitar solo fits the disc’s title just as the keyboard calms any person that needs a break from life.

Each strum of the album’s bewitching guitar comes right from King herself. Each strum either holds a steady tune that keeps each song alive or flutters to the outer reaches that the music can give. For a faster-paced song that ripples with energy, “Montreal” and “I Need a Girl Who Knows a Map” satisfy.

Though almost the whole album of Dreaming is defined by its instruments, the word choice in King’s vocals blends well with the songs’ emotions. The lyrics on “Saving Days In a Frozen Head” deepen the already soothing track as she sings, “There is nothing meant to happen in this world / I don’t want to go but I can’t say I’ve had a good time doing anything.” These lines serve as a simple refreshment from any meaningless, teeny-bopping, lovesick song that drones across the airwaves.

In fact, the lyrics, “2 O’Clock, you’re still sleeping. / When you wake up you’ll be in such pain / And I wait with a plate piled high with my love / that you won’t even eat from,” further signify King’s significance and commitment to the music she develops.

Kaki King doesn’t want mere fan satisfaction, delivering hymnal messages. Anyone who wants great homework music or just needs some fresh tunes should add this to their playlists. The guitar won’t lead you wrong and neither will King’s voice.