Listening to Kaki King play the guitar is absolutely delightful and the CD always ends too soon. Fortunately Everybody Loves You is an enhanced CD so there are three additional tracks to enjoy.

It starts off with "Kewpie Station," setting you down in the rush of people going back and forth before coming almost to a standstill. "Steamed Juicy Little Bun" is a simple little piece that goes down ever-so smoothly. King adds some percussion by way of her guitar in "Carmine St.," a piece that takes you down a street where you meet familiar folks.

The music continues to take you places with "Night After Sidewalk" and its starry skies. Its quietness is contrasted by the upbeat and playful sound of "Happy as a Dead Pig in the Sunshine." In "The Exhibition," note builds on note to show you the beauty of the whole. You can hear the fire with its sparks in "Close Your Eyes & You'll Burst into Flames" as the song builds and then dies down near the end.

"Joi" aptly enough is full of joy, the quiet stillness that is good for the heart. Then comes the title track, "Everybody Loves You," and it has a touch of the blues. "Fortuna" slides in with a touch of the fields beyond the fields we know. It is full of the promise of magic and wonder.

As for the enhancements on the CD there is also a photo gallery, as well as a video with clips of King playing live and talking about herself and her music. There are also a few links to official websites and the three bonus tracks I mentioned earlier.

Everybody Loves You is an amazing display of talent. The music King creates is rich in images and I love basking in the soundscapes created by the notes.

- Rambles
written by Paul de Bruijn
published 1 November 2003