Double album showcases DiFranco's diversity
By MAUREEN SMITHE
Scene Music Critic
Often described as a jazz, funk, soul, rock and folk artist, Ani DiFranco continues to defy generalizations. Her newest album, Revelling/Reckoning, leaves listeners with this same conundrum — who is Ani DiFranco?
Experimenting with a wide range of guitars, from electric to acoustic, DiFranco successfully reveals her dynamic and unique musical strengths in this special double album. Clearly different and divided, the two discs play off of each other in an attempt to define the many experiences that have made DiFranco the musician she is today.
The first disc in the set, Revelling, opens with the bluesy shuffle "Ain't That The Way." Like every other track on this disc, this song demonstrates DiFranco's intellectual and poetic lyric ability: "I gotta beeline double time/ Leave my home sweet home for your honeycomb." The groove heard in "Ain't That The Way" continues throughout the disc.
Revelling literally reveals the wide span of musical context in which DiFranco develops her music. Ranging from solo acoustic numbers to songs with a strong band back up, this CD is the more jazzy of the two.
In addition to her newly embraced vintage jazz-singer pitches, "What How When Where (Why Who)" features some well placed horns, including a trumpet and a saxophone played by well-known musician Maceo Parker. Vocal support from additional artists blends nicely with this track's overall jazzy feel.
The completely acoustic track, "Harvest," surprises the listener because for once, DiFranco has nothing verbal to say. Her lyrics are so concise and clear and honest throughout the disc's other tracks. However, most Ani DiFranco fans can't argue that her intricate guitar work continues to impress when left without her voice.
The album's second disc, Reckoning, is a departure from the jazzy setup she prepares for the listener with Revelling. Most of the songs on Reckoning are acoustic and solo, setting a quiet and reflective mood. She makes a real attempt on this disc to reckon with herself and the society that contributed to her own musical and personal development. Lyrics such as "The first person in your life/ To ever really matter/ Is saying the last thing/ That you want to hear," from "Sick of Me," demonstrate her growing confrontational nature with life.
As always, DiFranco also takes the opportunity to use her fame to make some political commentary. In "Your Next Bold Move" she takes a shot at the problems she sees in America. "Coming of age during the Plague/ Of Reagan and Bush/ Watching capitalism gun down democracy/ It had this funny effect on me/ I guess." Honestly and boldly, she takes the risks necessary to make changes.
This theme is also felt in the social revolution anthem "Subdivision." She makes no apologies for her frustrations. "White people are so scared of black people/ They bulldoze out the country ... And while America gets its heart cut right out of its chest/ The Berlin Wall still runs down Main Street." She wants "her country" to rise out of social oppression and conformity. Accompanied by a clarinet, shakers, drums and bass, this song is a fusion of both instruments and ideals.
This double album is classic DiFranco. Faithful to her fans and her art, she never strays too far from what she does best.
All Scene Stories for Tuesday, April 10, 2001
