Kaki King October 15, 2007

"It's not hyperbollocks to proclaim that she is to the acoustic what Hendrix was to the electric.” [Michael Simmons, LA Weekly]

Kaki King has never been one for convention. Her third album, '...Until We Felt Red' (available August 8th), is certainly no exception. Over the last few years, she has enjoyed well-earned status as the zeit-girl of instrumental acoustic guitar; a gifted young ingénue closing rank on the canonized heroes of the genre.

Now, with '...Until We Felt Red', she's defied expectation again. Like the yarn that graces the album's cover, she's spun her material out: the haunting melodies are sadder, the lush orchestrations are fuller, and the sharper edges can cut. Much of this can be attributed to the new sonic palate Kaki brings to proceedings: distorted pedal steel, pounding drums, ethereal trumpet, dots, loops, bleeps and other indefinable percussion sounds, and her own voice, disarmingly winsome and sweet for a woman with as much attitude as King.

“King’s focused intensity summons up a kind of kinetic power and passion that can stop surprised, slack-jawed onlookers in their tracks.” [Acoustic Guitar]

Kaki made a great call in seeking out producer John McEntire (Tortoise, Stereolab, Sea & Cake), who engineered and produced the album at his Soma Studios in Chicago. McEntire called forth some of the sweeter bursts of ear candy on the disc, and the creative chemistry between the two is apparent.

“And while seeing her live can be a jaw on the floor experience that changes everything you thought you knew about the guitar, with her third album, “…Until We Felt Red,” a fully formed star is born.” [Andy Langer, Esquire]

Her album isn’t all she’s been up to lately. King is featured on the track The Ballad of the Beaconsfield Miners on the new Foo Fighters album (as Dave Grohl put it: "I showed it to her once and she shredded it 10 times better than I've ever played it.”); recorded two tracks for the upcoming WB film August Rush, starring Freddie Highmore, Jonathan Rhys Meyers, and Robin Williams and was involved in scoring Into The Wild, a feature-length adaptation of the bestselling novel by Jon Krakauer. The film is directed by Sean Penn and is currently in post-production.

Official Website: http://www.theluminaire.co.uk/live-music-October-2007-580.php