[.ca] Evolve

From Amazon.com:
Some 15 years and nearly as many albums into her career, Ani DiFranco--the original girl-power prophet and folkie punk--is still as willful as ever. Her lyrics remain poetic, polemical, and yes, occasionally maudlin; her musical explorations sound more like refinement than radical revision, but it's clear that she's still, well, evolving. Always a strikingly gifted and expressive singer and guitarist who employs her voice and guitar as both rhythmic and melodic instruments, DiFranco builds this set of songs on those basics but draws generously from the wide range of styles she's sampled since her stripped-down early days. A slinky Latin guitar line snakes through "Promised Land," gutsy New Orleans brass adds swagger to "In the Way," and jazzy keys, cool clarinets, and mournful muted trumpets lend color and tone to nearly every cut. Hooks are scarce in the disc's mushy middle, but the lush, horn-laden groove of "Here for Now" recaptures the momentum, and DiFranco even drops a signature 10-minute epic in "Serpentine." Like Evolve itself, "Serpentine" is sprawling, funny, angry, compelling, and entirely unafraid. --Anders Smith Lindall

don't believe the hype:
OK So I wanted to like Ani, but my first listen to this album made me want to give her a prozac and tell her life will be ok. She sounds to angry and can't sing. Her band plays well though. I liked #5 though. I guess I would have to listen to it a few times before I fall for her. Either that or completely avoid her.

Perfectly Done:
This album has really grown on me. The first time I listened to it, I wasn't tremendously impressed, but after I really focused on it, I realized just how incredible it is. I am particulary fond of the track Serpentine, mainly because of it's intense political messages. Some people don't like Ani because she tends to be a bit angry, but I think that's one of the things that makes her great; it's certainly justified anger. I love her guitar work, her voice, and her thought-provoking lyrics. This album is my favorite of hers so far, next to Little Plastic Castle. It's certainly worth checking out.

I absolutely love Ani:
I think that this album is wonderful. Although, I do think that To The Teeth is still my favorite. She adds a little bit of jazz and a little bit of funk. My favorite songs are evolve, O My My, In the Way, Promised land and Here For Now. In the 2 songs Evolve and Serpentine she adds her liberal political ideas which I always agree with. Here For Now,has a jazzy and latinish feel. O My My is mixed with jazz, folk and she also puts in a part that sounds like 1930-1940ish jazz or folk. In the Way has a funky and jazz feel. Alot of her songs she tries to do something different which makes her very interesting to listen to.

Evolving in the wrong direction:
DiFranco's career is in its teen years right now. Ever since her 1990s debut Ani has gathered a myriad of loyal followers and redefined the definition of coffee shop folk into a culture by itself. She offered great escapism from the Lilith Fair crowd and penned lyrics so witty and timely they are etched on the tombstone of the riot-grrl era. However, ever since "To The Teeth" her music has been waning in lyrical pizzaz and edgy folkness. DiFranco has meandered into big-band jazziness and forgot about the feisty rock she does best. Her previous double album left the early DiFranco fan hungry for a better treat and considering Ani's impressive back catalogue, a mediocre album is forgiven. DiFranco, however, returns with the long-awaited "Evolve," but the wait is not worth it. The album is packed with midtempo and smokey-bar tunes that meshed into one another for the lack of distinction. The exciting shrewd melodies of DiFranco are long gone and now it is merely a mixture of brown, kind of like when different colors seep into each other in a watercolor painting. "Promised Land" is a bland and directionless ode, while "Icarus" is basically disappointing. "In The Way" starts out promising and "Slide" is reminiscent of a less-inspired "Jukebox." The title track has some Ani kitsch to it, while "Shrug" is a lazy song with extra distorted vocals. "Here For Now" is the only complete song, with credible instrumentation, but toward the end it gets redundant. "Serpentine" is a 10-minute-plus trip continuing the Ani tradition of long numbers toward the end of recent albums, yet this song is more of a politically and socially aware record of current events. The album closes with "Welcome To" and leaves us wondering what happened to the girl with the guitar. Did she find a band and discover saxophones and get her voice drowned by all that? Coming from an avid DiFranco fan, I find this album second-rate and lower than my expectations. If you loved "Imperfectly" and "Not So Soft," don't expect the same feel. If you thought "Reckoning / Revelling" was mediocre, then this is definitely not an album to purchase. I never thought I'd give Ani DiFranco a bad review, but "Evolve" is an evolution toward the bargain bins.

A Strong CD:
Ani Difranco is a strong woman with an even stronger voice. This CD was my first Ani CD and I'm an Ani fan now. From the ongoing, emotional Serpentine to wonderful Evolve to Promised Land, this CD is worth your money.

• Promised Land
• In The Way
• Icarus
• Slide
• O My My
• Evolve
• Shrug
• Phase
• Here For Now
• Second Intermission
• Serpentine
• Welcome To: