2008 Woodie Awards
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The Scene
Review: Dreaming of Revenge
B
By MADALYN WASILCZUK on 4/3/08
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"Dreaming of Revenge"
(Velour)
Sounds like: A dreamscape of vindication come to life
With "Dreaming of Revenge," Kaki King continues to weave the intricate soundscapes for which she's known, wielding her technical and creative guitar skills with exemplary ease.
The album, however, departs in many ways from her instrumental past, making vocals an integral part of her compositions rather than a mere afterthought or another instrument to texture her pieces.
Though vocals are not present on all tracks, they are central to those on which they do exist, unlike her past vocals that merely complemented her complicated melodic interludes. The strong effect of King's voice shattering the instrumental barrier she's erected in the past makes "Dreaming of Revenge" more resonant with the pop world, and while it by no means invades that territory, the record at times toes the line.
Perhaps King is attempting to win listeners form the adult contemporary crowd, people sure to appreciate the songs' less frantic style. However, the beautiful intricacy of the album lies outside tracks like "Bone Chaos in the Castle," which sound hyper-produced and lack genuineness.
"2 O'Clock," the final track on King's latest effort, combines the artist's past and present - soft, sweet, breathy vocals overlay an elegantly timid guitar back, which segues to a frenetic chord progression and makes its way full circle to end gently.
The song avoids the overproduction of some of the other tracks and plays to King's greatest strength: her original, organic songwriting. This song and songs like it save the album from what might otherwise have become one more adult easy-listening pop record.
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