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Tuesday, January 20, 2004
DiFranco's 'Educated Guess' is downright brilliant
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"I hated to pop the bubble of me and you/ but it only held enough oxygen for a trip or two." The playful words are from "Bubble," a tender yet stirring story-song from singer-songwriter and spoken-word artist Ani DiFranco's brilliant new solo album, "Educated Guess."
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DiFranco, a voice of passionate dissent who creates stunning narrations on life in today's America, wrote and recorded the album single-handedly. She sang all the songs (lead as well as backup), played all the instruments and did all the recording and mixing herself for this latest release from her self-made and remarkably successful independent label, Righteous Babe Records of Buffalo, N.Y. The lavishly packaged album features DiFranco's original artwork and three bonus poems.
A singular talent who isn't afraid to speak her mind about life, love, politics and the troubled soul of America, DiFranco has wowed us before with her tender musings and feisty rants.
But on "Educated Guess" the diminutive folk-punk poet is downright brilliant in her latest reflections on romance, patriotism and the often-compromised American spirit.
She opens "Grand Canyon" with this thought: "I love my country/ by which I mean I am indebted joyfully/ to all the people throughout its history/ who have fought the government to make right."
In "Origami" she describes herself as "an all-powerful Amazon warrior, not just some sniveling girl" and teases that men are "delicate origami creatures who need women to unfold them."
Recorded on vintage reel-to-reel equipment in Buffalo and in New Orleans, the album has a rich, warm feel that brings her skillful guitar playing and strong, self-confident vocals to the fore.
The songs are somber and spare, but imbued with a sly sense of humor: "The light blue rhythm of the neighbor's big console TV/ Is basking on the ceiling of another insomniac spree."
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