Spring Break
Ani DiFranco: 'Red Letter Year'
Charlotte Downes
Issue date: 9/24/08 Section: The Edge
Ani DiFranco, the singer-songwriter powerhouse famous for dropping one album a year, took her time on "Red Letter Year." But the two-year wait was worth it.
If you're new to DiFranco, run out and buy "Cannon," an excellent compilation disc of DiFranco's last two decades of work. And maybe buy "Red Letter Year," too. While it is not particularly new or groundbreaking, it's certainly worth a listen.
It's kind of like ordering a burger in a five-star restaurant: a really fantastic version of something just a little bit predictable. While DiFranco does the typical singer-songwriter thing on this album, she does it really, really well.
In "Alla This," the always-political DiFranco lays into sexism, the war in Iraq and consumerism all in one fell swoop, singing, "I won't pray to a male god, because that would be insane. I can't support the troops, because every one is being duped. I will not rest a wink till the women have regrouped."
Rather than serving as another angry rant song, DiFranco attacks the administration with a smile on her face. The smooth, easy guitar line contrasts the clever, controversial lyrics so much that it almost hides them - which is a shame, because agree with them or not, they're well written. The sheer range and variety of DiFranco's voice is beautifully showcased, and DiFranco sounds so good even conservatives will love this song.
Unusually enough, the political songs are Styrofoam-packed with sweet ones. The richly-layered track "Smiling Underneath" is a charming, adorable song - well, as adorable as the restless, energetic and never-discouraged activist and new mother can be. Despite delayed flights and crabby waiters, DiFranco sings, "As long as I'm with you I'm having a good time."
What keeps this from being sugary sweet is the somewhat somber instrumentation. An ethereal, thumping acoustic and an ache in DiFranco's voice convey a sense of loss and longing. By the end of the track, "Smiling Underneath" is more of a plea than a giddy love song.
If you're new to DiFranco, run out and buy "Cannon," an excellent compilation disc of DiFranco's last two decades of work. And maybe buy "Red Letter Year," too. While it is not particularly new or groundbreaking, it's certainly worth a listen.
It's kind of like ordering a burger in a five-star restaurant: a really fantastic version of something just a little bit predictable. While DiFranco does the typical singer-songwriter thing on this album, she does it really, really well.
In "Alla This," the always-political DiFranco lays into sexism, the war in Iraq and consumerism all in one fell swoop, singing, "I won't pray to a male god, because that would be insane. I can't support the troops, because every one is being duped. I will not rest a wink till the women have regrouped."
Rather than serving as another angry rant song, DiFranco attacks the administration with a smile on her face. The smooth, easy guitar line contrasts the clever, controversial lyrics so much that it almost hides them - which is a shame, because agree with them or not, they're well written. The sheer range and variety of DiFranco's voice is beautifully showcased, and DiFranco sounds so good even conservatives will love this song.
Unusually enough, the political songs are Styrofoam-packed with sweet ones. The richly-layered track "Smiling Underneath" is a charming, adorable song - well, as adorable as the restless, energetic and never-discouraged activist and new mother can be. Despite delayed flights and crabby waiters, DiFranco sings, "As long as I'm with you I'm having a good time."
What keeps this from being sugary sweet is the somewhat somber instrumentation. An ethereal, thumping acoustic and an ache in DiFranco's voice convey a sense of loss and longing. By the end of the track, "Smiling Underneath" is more of a plea than a giddy love song.
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