Ani DiFranco
Reprieve
Rating: 4/5
Tracks to download: “Hypnotized,” “Millennium Theater”
For fans of: Fiona Apple, PJ Harvey
Ani DiFranco has released 18 studio albums. The problem when speaking of an established artist like DiFranco is that you run the risk of offending established admirers with your naivet‚, or you fail to recognize the artistic shifts and musical changes that have accompanied her over the years and are apparent to her fans. I can, however, offer an impartial review of her latest CD, “Reprieve.”
DiFranco is “The Original Folk Punk,” crafting ballads on an acoustic guitar with a bevy of instrumental cameos and intriguing decorations. A poet first and a musician second, her light chords accompany drowsy verses which range in topic from love and obsession to tirades against typical right-leaning targets like Halliburton and President George W. Bush. Fans of catchy hooks, and people who expect the typical verse-refrain pattern in pop songs, should note that DiFranco rejects both, using asymmetrical patterns and long, rambling prose to convey her thoughts.
From the age of 16, DiFranco has traveled with her guitar between bars and stages, in the process becoming a feminist icon and the prototype for modern light chick rockers. Her unique approach to song craft has kept her far from the mainstream, but her ability to connect with audiences has led her to cultivate a nearly 20-year-long career out of atmospheric studio albums and hushed vocals.
Every musician’s power comes from her ability to convey messages, and if you listen closely, you will probably like what DiFranco has to say. Cleverly constructed rhyme schemes and lyrical wordplay are in abundance, and her ethos is still as incendiary as it was once was. And, while her reputation for being an angry girl precedes her, she may just be the tonic for ears dulled by the contemptuous drubbing of brainless emcees and soulless radio blights.
I didn’t really think I would like this album, but I honestly enjoyed it and you probably could too.