Music to your ears: the only instrument that pales on Kaki King's latest album is her voice

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KAKI KING

Dreaming of Revenge

VELOUR

SUCCESS DOES NOT COME EASILY to pop artists who concentrate on instrumentals. In just about every other genre--jazz, classical, techno--working without words is commonplace, a virtue even. But in Top 40? Either the tune labors under the burden of schmaltz ("Music Box Dancer") or utilizes quirky timbres that relegate it to novelty ("Popcorn"--and we don't mean James Brown's). Even gifted rock virtuosos end up in the margins; despite celebrated chops, shredders Joe Satriani and Yngwie Malmsteen remain punch lines to most music fans.

Kaki King is an exception. The Atlanta-born, New York-based guitarist has spent the last decade advancing her career by incrementally adding to her stylistic repertoire, while tempering technical skill with accessibility and heart. Last year proved a watershed year for the out lesbian: Dave Grohl swapped licks with her on the Foo Fighters' Grammy-nominated Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace, and she contributed to the score of Sean Penn's Into The Wild--a collaboration with Michael Brook and Pearl Jam's Eddie Vedder that garnered a Golden Globe nomination.

Like its predecessor, Until We Felt Red from 2006, Dreaming of Revenge, which is King's fourth full-length album, incorporates her voice into a handful of songs. But inventive turns on her primary instrument--be it acoustic, electric, slide, or pedal steel guitar--remain the meat and potatoes. The rousing opener, "Bone Chaos in the Castle," augments a percussive attack with funky drumming and builds in atmospheric layers. Were the performances more rudimentary, this might be the work of Brooklyn hipsters Ratatat; less groovy, and it could pass for navel-gazing prog rock a la Robert Fripp.

The only instrument that doesn't completely mesh is the one she was born with, featured on four songs. On a purely sonic level, King's voice is winsome yet not wimpy and adds another fascinating texture to the mix. But lyrically she has much room to mature ("And I wait/With a plate / Piled high with my love/Which you won't eat from"). And occasional forced turns of phrase create cadences so clunky they momentarily distract from King's other, formidable strengths.

King can easily seduce without words. So if she chooses to incorporate them, her lyrics and their settings need to approach a level worthy of her instrumental acumen. For now, it would seem her steady ascent has reached a plateau. Fortunately, as Dreaming of Revenge affirms, when one has already attained such lofty heights, leveling off for a while need not preclude an exciting ride.

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