I was driving headlong into a blizzard on the desolate roads of southeastern Idaho. It was 2008 and I held a steady pace on the slushy pavement. The latest album from Kaki King (Dreaming of Revenge) echoed from the speakers of my old pickup truck. Each snowflake hit my windshield like each guitar note hit my eardrums.

I found myself zoning out‚ pulling apart the conflicting memories in my mind‚ trying to rearrange them in some organized fashion to make sense of my choices that led me to this point‚ where fate finds itself on hairpin curves‚ while impending black ice licks the tires I carefully steer.

King possesses that power to grip your soul and hold it in place‚ shaking it out of the ordinary‚ causing one to take a step back from the daily routine and see exactly how deep the hole is we've all dug ourselves into. She saves us from the mundane‚ acting as a crusader of fleeting moments and visions that haunt you late at night or early in the morning‚ right when you pour your first cup of coffee and stare blankly out the kitchen window into the backyard.

Recently transplanting myself into the high peaks and low-hanging valleys of Western North Carolina‚ I once again find myself confronted with a new Kaki King record (Glow)‚ just as my life finds itself at a crossroads.

The sonic soundscapes and hummingbird fluttering of her guitar wizardry on "Bowen Island" captivates the senses. Where there was once snowflakes hitting the windshield‚ now a barrage of fallen leaves cascade from the depths of the southern foliage season. The melody provokes your foot to keep the gas pedal going. You don't want to turn into your driveway‚ rather you want to drive around the block‚ around the town or around the county for that matter‚ seeing where each subsequent song on the record and steady steering hand direct you.