Kaki King

With delicate, gentle vocals veteran musician Kaki King coxes open her third album with a voice that is reminiscent of a young girl. Though Until is her third release, it is the first time King has used vocals on any of her recordings, and the addition is effective, especially on the opener "Yellowcake.” There’s an interesting juxtaposition between her skilled guitar playing and innocent vocals that is altogether striking. "You Don’t Have to Be Afraid” starts gently, builds momentum through the vocals and escalates to ethereal keyboard pop before degenerating to distortion. The vocals, however, are kept to a minimum and rightfully so, where King excels is in her instrumentation, which is stronger on this album and more diverse than it has been on her previous releases. Though King’s singing adds a welcome dimension to her tracks instrumentals like "Gobi” and the quirkily named "Gay Sons of Lesbian Mothers,” her guitar playing still holds the power.