The thing about Ani DiFranco is that her music sounds twice as good when it's live. Not coincidentally, I rate her live albums as her best work. But if I had to pick one album that come close to her live sound, this album would be my pick. Let me tell you a bit about her, for those who are not familiar with her work. She started playing guitar before she turned 9, when she had her first gig performing Beatles covers. By the age of 15 when she left home, she had already composed over 100 original tracks. At age 19, she started her own record label where she could release material without compromising. Now, she is one of the most successful indie artists in the world. Her lyrics cover all kinds of territory: political issues, social issues, songs about abortion, sexuality, the music industry...well you name it. Her lyrics are really outspoken and to the point, and she doesn't pull any punches. Her music too is pretty recognisable, especially her guitar playing. She has a very a-rhythmic fingerpicking style of playing. She can hold her own on a 12-string, using a pick on every fingernail during live shows. Besides guitar she plays bass, piano and drums that I know of. Despite her signature guitar playing, her music has evolved (hence the album title) alot. Her sound has matured alot, as she ventures alot in more different musical styles like jazz, funk, blues, soul...even latin american influenced music. All those styles are pretty much covered on this album.
01 Promised Land
A cool intro with Ani's fingerpicking guitar playing, and some nice brass melodies. The song is very slow-paced, with timid contemporary piano melodies and a smooth bassline. The chorusses however, are full of striking melodies. Really good opener. 4/5
02 Something In The Way
A very funky track. I love the cool brass melodies that come in about a minute into the song. All the instruments are great, especially the bassline, not easy to notice right away, but really cool. It goes into a small trumpet solo about 2 and a half minute in the song, before the vocals start again and the song builds up into chorus. The songs ends cool jam, and Ani singing "No, you didn't just leave" 4 times. 4/5
03 Icarus
This song has a really cool riff that goes on for about 70% of the song. While the song not heavy, it's nature is pretty aggressive. Some really outspoken lyrics too: 'nature is our mother and our teacher and god is just another story that they tell'. After these lyrics, a cool instrumental part. The song keeps it's pace well despite the frequent stops in the rythm. 4/5
04 Slide
This is a more catchy upbeat song. It starts with acoustic guitars and some odd backing vocals. One of my favorite dirty Ani lyrics are in this song: 'my p*ssy is a tractor and this is a tractor pull". It's got a cool trumpet solo later on in the song. 4/5
05 O My My
This piano drive track is the low point of the album. It just doesn't work...Ani tried to write a song with piano as the vocal instrument...that's why it sounds kind of forced. It would've been much better if it was just an instrumental too. 2.5/5
06 Evolve
Just Ani and her guitar...it's a very lyrical track. The lyrical approach, like many of Ani's track, seem to spontaneously reflect her exact thoughts. The clever part is that Ani makes art out of expressing those thoughts through her music, and this track is a fairly good example of that. 4/5
07 Shrug
This is one of my favorite tracks on Evolve. The intro starts with a short piano/saxophone jam, attacked by a stubbing bassline. Then the percussion, guitars come in...and then...suddenly a very sensual juxtaposed wave of melodies from the brass section breezes through. Really amazing! The chorus is absolutely gorgeous. In the second and third verse, there are some strange distorted backing vocals (also sung by Ani). The short instrumental ending around 4 minutes into the song is great to. Really great song overall. 5/5
08 Phase
A very freeflowing guitar-driven track...typical Ani stuff. It's really over the top at times...especially Ani's vocals...sometimes she mumbled the lyrics in a very fragile voice, making it hard to make out the lyrics. 3/5
09 Here For Now
The intro of this song build up really fast, with a bassline, some of Ani's light guitar picking and a cool rimshot-driven drum beat. The trumpet player is all over the place. This song is very latin-mariachi influenced, really cool. The vocals are very beat-oriented. The song really works well, it's pretty intense, with the drums being the main focus...the chorus is slower, with a funkier beat, and more melodic vocals. 4/5
10 Second Intermission
This is one of my favorite Ani-songs, and my favorite on this record. The things that stand out the most are the great basslines, and the gorgeous flute/horn melody, which is complemented by a keyboard sample...this song is just perfect harmony in sound waves. I love how the flutes play along Ani's vocal melody in the chorus. The lyrics on this song are some of Ani's best: "No bliss for little miss leading/she's learning about bleeding/but what is love if not exquisite?/our only saving grace (or is it)/and somehere in your iris/the reflection of my suprise/as you stroll past every last do no enter/and touch me at my epicenter". I love the bridge to...around 2 and a half minutes...just a perfect song. 5/5
11 Serpentine
This is more a sung poem guided by Ani's acoustic guitar. It's not something you can digest everytime you hear this record...but it's very listenable. It starts with a improv-ish acoustic guitar jam It takes about about three minutes before vocals actually comes into play. Ani's voice come into par with the guitar melodies, instead her guitar serves as some kind of background music.. The lyrics are a very depressing, sung/spoken with alot of emotion, and once again reflect what goes on in Ani's head. Topics included the corperate "music industry mafia" and the insensitivity/indifference within the western society. 4/5
12 Welcome To:
This is a very basic acoustic track...with a very timid verse and a more powerful chorus. Ani sings more in her clean folky voice on this track...while most of the vocals on the album are really soulful vibrato's...she sounds good doing both vocal styles. But this song resembles her older stuff more than any other song on this record. The song is lyrically not really complicated, they are more straight up, understandable. While not the best track on the album, it's a good fit being the album closer. 3.5/5
Not her best material...but a solid, consistant release. Rating: 4.2/5
