Singer, songwriter, musician, producer and jack of all musical trades Ani DiFranco is back and ready to shock anyone who isn’t prepared with her new album Evolve.
The album is an eclectic mix of horns, guitars, piano and DiFranco’s soul-penetrating, sexy, raw voice.
This woman’s voice screams sensuality — no matter if she’s singing about making love or self-loathing. And boy does she like to sing about making love, which turns out to actually be a nice treat.
Not only is her voice memorable, her stick-it-to-‘ya style of writing lyrics is truthful and sometimes shockingly uncensored. This is probably because she owns her own record company, Righteous Babe Records, making for probably some of the purest music out there.
Maybe this is what has made DiFranco successful for the last 13 years, not to mention what has enabled her to make so many albums — 20 to be exact.
It’s too bad that it couldn’t just stop there — good voice, good lyrics, great album. All the instruments are played well and the lyrics are so brutally honest that they make amazing poetry, but the two mixed together are a little jarring.
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I need to be able to sing along to an album; I’m just that kind of person. If I can’t sing, then that album, no matter how good it is, goes to a special place I call the CD orphanage — the used CD section at my neighborhood Hastings. And I just can’t sing along to DiFranco. I kind of felt like scatting, but since I don’t know how to do that, the album is unfortunately a no-go.
If you are one of those scatting, finger-snapping, poetry-writing, experimental jazz- listening kind of person, then this is your album. In fact, you may think that it is the best album of the year. Actually, it may be.
DiFranco’s wild finger picking is unlike anything in the mainstream. In the best song on the record, “Slide,” DiFranco picks her guitar like a mad woman and the horn in the background adds much funky jazz. “Shrug” is also a magical listen as the chorus sounds like elevator music if elevator music were dressed in a purple velvet suit with a big feather in its hat.
The album’s namesake, “Evolve,” however, is a disappointment. It’s the only song on the entire album that doesn’t knock you over with its intensity. Lyrically, it’s amazingly provocative and powerful, addressing subjects like corrupt government, religious fundamentalists and war.
The delivery is what falls apart. DiFranco trades her strong voice and her distinct mix of musical sounds for this average and dull song.
All in all, this jolting listen should be admired for its fine artistry and truthfulness. Regretfully, I just don’t think I’m funky enough for DiFranco — but you definitely don’t need to be a fan to appreciate a woman who will say everything other artists are afraid to.
