Album: Kaki King, Dreaming of Revenge (Velour)

Kaki King's unorthodox approach to the guitar has already secured her a guest spot on the last Foo Fighters album, and a Golden Globe nomination for her soundtrack to Into the Wild.

On Dreaming of Revenge, she's teamed up with guitarist/producer Malcolm Burn, whose apprenticeship with Daniel Lanois has given him a keen sense of how to create atmosphere in a recording. Their alliance works well, Burn lending clarity and cohesion to the guitar whines and springy pads of "Montreal", and expertly blending "Sad American" into superior incidental music.

"Bone Chaos in the Castle" features King's tapped-string figures overlaid with wiry threads of lead guitar, while her development as a songwriter is indicated by songs such as "Life Being What It Is" and "Saving Days in a Frozen Head".

Pick of the album:'Bone Chaos in the Castle', 'Montreal', 'Life Being What It Is', 'Open Mouth', 'Sad American'