Kaki King

Kaki King certainly makes revenge sound sweet. Stirred by a breakup, the virtuoso continued her evolution from instrumental guitarist to bona fide singer-songwriter here. While King's experimental heart is still at play, she also shows she's not afraid to write a pop song. Airy textures of post-rock and downtempo beats may flutter through tracks like "Open Mouth" and "Air and Kilometers," but hints of an unplugged Michelle Branch lurk in "Life Being What It Is" and flashes of electro-pop bounce in "Pull Me Out Alive." If success is the best revenge, then King's on her way.