Dreaming of Revenge

Dreaming of Revenge

Kaki King

Velour, 2008

Tori Winning, 18

Canada

Kaki King may only be 29, but she's been in the music industry for almost ten years. Not only has she contributed to the soundtracks of the films August Rush and Into the Wild, but she was the first woman to be named a "Guitar God" by Rolling Stone Magazine, in 2006. Oh, and did I mention that she's a dedicated songwriter, too? I listened to Dreaming of Revenge, King's latest album, with high hopes.

Unfortunately, they weren't merited.

It's not that there was anything wrong with it. It just didn't have that special something that makes me go, "Wow! I have to listen to this again." King's guitar playing felt clunky at times. To a more trained ear, it may have sounded artistic, but not to this listener. The song "Open Mouth" was decent, however, and its predecessor, "Montreal," builds into a pretty cool track. The highlight, though, is surely "Saving Days in a Frozen Head": King's voice isn't stellar, but the layered vocals and instrumentals blend into a quirky, fun song.

If you're a guitar fan, definitely pick up this album. But the average music listener might want to borrow it from the library before shelling out the cash.