(Top Shelf/MGM)

Quirky guitarist makes brilliant pop-folk

Dreaming Of Revenge is Kaki King’s most accomplished album to date. The New York guitarist approaches guitar virtuosity in quite an oblique fashion, using it to provide effortless accessibility rather than esoteric musicality. King doesn’t hide behind her unique skills, but rather blossoms into a composer in her own right. She obscures her intricacies behind beautiful melody and her tiny voice – layering complexity for those who wish to seek it, while providing faultless pop-folk for passing ears. Her rhythmic guitar style and considerable drum chops make for what feels like an album of precise MIDI tracks, but carries the warmth of live instruments. It basically sounds like the coolest video game soundtrack you could ever imagine, reminiscent of greats like Final Fantasy composer Nobuo Uematsu, while being quite intrinsically modern. Pull Me Out Alive is the most straightforward of tracks, with a palm-muted riff and rhythmically spoken vocals that resolve into a soaring chorus of strings and delay. The little squelches and squeals of synthesiser, and varied squawks and squalls of guitar highlight the slickness of the splendid production. That the arrangement can be so aberrant, and the final result so glossily pop is a wonderful achievement. Dreaming Of Revenge is a superbly odd pop record, while simultaneously being a crossover triumph for an instrumentalist. It comes well recommended.

JAKEB SMITH

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