Frequent readers might note that I have never been one to shy away from my strong belief that for an artist's follow-up album to be successful (to my ears, at least), they must attempt to break themselves from the norm established in their last album; they need to evolve, even if only slightly. In the past, a lot of artists have let me down (as if they owed anything to me?). Fortunately, Katherine Elizabeth King must have taken this in mind, for her new album provides the perfect balance between upbeat, jarring and soothing.
Her vocals aren't always perfect, and the ambient lo-fi sound can sometimes remind one of the mid-nineties indie scene. But that shouldn't fool you. Kaki King's new album isn't something you can just throw on in the background and zone out to. Rather, it's a fantastic work of alternative-rock that demands full focus and attention. Fortunately she leaves a few of those interludes to allow us a chance to catch our breath in between!