Canon (Disc 2) - Ani DiFranco

Track list:

1. Hello Birmingham
2. This Box Contains
3. Grey
4. Prison Prism
5. Marrow
6. Here For Now
7. Subdivision
8. Rain Check
9. Swim
10. Paradigm
11. Manhole
12. Studying Stones
13. Hypnotized
14. 78% H2O
15. Millenium Theater
16. Your Next Bold Move
17. Both Hands
18. Overlap

Running time: 68 minutes
Released: 2007

Part 2 of the DiFranco-athon. The first disc was long; this is barely shorter. How does it compare?

In truth, comparison is rendered difficult by the time I have let slip by between these discs, accentuated by two purchases (and two more that came yesterday that I am overlooking) that would force their way in by virtue of title. I am forcing this in, looking at it when I don't really feel like it, to make up for the ultra-lite month I have managed. Oh, and with a dodgy back today; early experiments with weights gone wrong I think. Yay.

All this means that my frame of mind is perhaps not one to be forgiving. Hello Birmingham is boring me, and yet is also magnetic somehow. Slow, plodding, but using a nice little phrasing, and a compelling vocal approach, breathy and tense. As it builds I find myself really liking the song and unable to really put my finger on why. We are then treated to an intro. This disc seems to waver between 5 minute epics and short nothings to begin with.

The most I have to say about Grey to begin with is that I am astonished it is spelled with an e; I thought yanks used gray. Hardly a compelling thought, eh? I shouldn't be so tired, I worked from home, I got up late, I've not left the house today... sleep has been hard to come by of late, though this slow number feels like it brings it a little closer.  It has none of the grab of Hello Birmingham, none of the vitality hidden behind the outward slow, low number. This is morose, sparse and dull instead. The vocal has no energy and the arrangement offers none of the secret interest. That it drifts on for 5 minutes is interminable.

Another short interlude, then. Prison Prism comes in at 1.34 and offers nothing for that. The final peak on the long-short-long ride is Marrow, then we hit a bank of more usual length tunes. Marrow opens promisingly, though it is perhaps still too slow and soft to sustain that positive impression. Here there is some intent back in the singing, some bite again. The wandering tunes that weave quietly behind DiFranco's whispers are intriguing, offsetting her vocal and drawing enough of the ear to turn the head.  The song falls down a little around the 3 minute mark as the accompaniment goes all light entertainment / 70s TV soundtrack in nature which throws the sense of the track a little. It more or less wrests back some sense of coherence and interest, through force of frontwoman more than anything, but what was really promising is now just alright.

Oh, now... that is an interesting bassline, punchy, different energy. Unfortunately the song that goes with it is gimmicky and all over the place and the arrangement does not really fit for me. The fast, staccato delivery of the lyrics, with two voices barking them out in imperfect concert through the verses does not impress, and I find myself really disliking the song despite the promise of the first few bars. I get the sense DiFranco experimented a fair bit with different sounds, something I admire, but that for me her style suits the predominant theme of hushed but harsh words and simple(ish) guitar parts to season. As this model is in evidence again on Subdivision, I find myself enjoying the song.

I really need to get next door and get hold of the landlord's number. The damp is getting worse and I now have the plumber's report to go with the structural folks one that confirms the problem isn't my side. I find the idea off-putting, but I need to get past that, and the constant tiredness and just get it done so that the root cause can be addressed, then the symptoms redressed. I deviate from the point because DiFranco seems to be spending a track pratting about on nothing of interest. Every even numbered track has been a miss in one way or another - will that last the disc?

Swim is more messing around as the tune wanders all over the place, along with the vocal. Some of the points it hits are really nice and interesting but others are not and I find it walks just the wrong side of playing with pacing and expectation for me. She sounds young on this song though - I have no idea if it was an early one, but it certainly feels like it. Geez, that is only just halfway. At least the missing evens streak is broken - or should be. There is a nicely patterned riff supporting Paradigm and here the vocal works better too. It is the punchy nature of the guitar playing that captures the interest though. There isn't much else involved, subtle lines weave in as we go and build to a fuller sound, but it never overshadows that first riff that holds the heart of the song.

In some ways this is really frustrating; there are songs here that show Ani DiFranco to be hugely talented and interesting. There are also plenty of tracks that are just plain dull, duds. For me that sort of wavering between brilliance and boredom is almost worse than sheer mediocrity - at least I can just switch off from the latter. That said, the hit-and-miss nature has never put me off other artists who when they are really good are great, building up enough credit to overlook the lapses. Regina Spektor is the queen in this regard; waiting on her latest. Whilst my thoughts roam, DiFranco has pulled out two in a row that I rather like for the first time on disc 2.

A more sombre tone and a fair 30+ seconds before the singing starts means that Studying Stones has a different feel to what has gone before. That sort of returns to expectation once the vocal gets going, but the arrangement maintains a stately nature that sets it a little apart. I really like the change of tone, and especially how the voice contains some traces of hope or happiness that contrast the rather downbeat nature of the arrangement. This works all the better because the music is given plenty of space to stand alone at top and tail of the song. Do like. I am not so sure about what follows. It has a certain something to it, but it is so minimal that I am not sure I would ever want to listen to it again - its the kind of track you would always skip over, which isn't much of a description but its all I have, especially as the track is now gone, along with most of the one after, which has a bit more to it but I find myself disengaged despite a nice bouncy tone to the guitar which I rather like.

Its funny how we can be fickle. There is no small part of me that thinks culling tracks is a bit silly because music is so mood dependent. Ultimately I am not going to get rid of anything I am both happy and familiar with; its the lesser listened stuff that is at risk and doesn't that just risk ossifying my position to what I already know? OK, with the scale of the number of tracks we're talking about ossification is not really that limiting, but there's always a new take on old goods based on mood, moment and so on. Context matters with music, and not a little bit. Still, I don't have to make cuts if I don't want to. It's my choice, my risk, my loss.

Into the final three tracks. These all have [New Version] appended to the name in my player, not that that means anything to me since I wasn't familiar with the old ones. I guess they come with a maturity of performance and performer, so I should perhaps be grateful for that, but Your Next Bold Move does not really sell that viewpoint. I can see there is a decent song in there somewhere, but it somehow still falls flat. Maybe I would have been better off with the older, rawer take. I guess I will never know because although there have been some pretty good tracks to pick out over these two discs I remain unconvinced overall of how well DiFranco's music suits me. The thing with Spektor is that her on moments are so right up my street that the off moments are the blip. Here it is much more of a toss-up as to whether it is the songs I like, or the ones I don't, that best reflect the performer.

Far from all bad, but I won't be going to uncover the Ani DiFranco back-catalog anytime soon.

...

I concluded the post too early! There is still a track and a bit to go. Both Hands is perky, flirty and reminds me in some ways of early Thea Gilmore. This is a good thing. I am not sure I really like the song, or the tune with it, but it made me feel positive and that is worth giving it another chance at least. The final number is also pretty neat. A much more musical, rounded, sound to the arrangement, lusher than most of those I have heard over the past hour, makes this tick. It doesn't overshadow the vocal approach but supports it in a more complete way than some of what went before. I find myself really liking this and feeling like the listen ended on a high. Right up until there are weird bells closing out the track.

That is that for September in all likelihood; an output of 4 posts is bunk. Must do better.

At Swim - Lisa Hannigan

Track list:

1. Fall
2. Prayer For The Dying
3. Snow
4. Lo
5. Undertow
6. Ora
7. We The Drowned
8. Anahorish
9. Tender
10. Funeral Suit
11. Barton

Running time: 39 minutes
Released: 2016

So a second interlude in the midst of the DiFranco discs. This arrived before Astronaut Meets Appleman, but I didn't get to it before the latter arrived, so At Swim got relegated. It has now been sat around, un-listened to, for over a month.

I was trawling around online looking for new music and saw that Lisa Hannigan had a record out. I raised an eyebrow - whilst I loved Sea Sew, I found Passenger much less interesting. However I looked into it, to find that this album is produced by Aaron Dessner of The National whose work on This is the Kit's Bashed Out I liked a lot. Sold, then. Now to find out if that was wise...

It opens with a gentle little strum, and then a typically husky intonation from our singer. It is a laid back beginning, low key and approachable. Ooh, a swell and a hint of harmony in the vocal; pity it comes on wandering, directionless notes not in more defined lyrics. That said, the general tone of this first track is a big winner for me. It harks back a little, more reminiscent of Sea Sew than Passenger for me. Before Fall ends I find myself getting impatient for the close, but that did not manifest until the denouement so I don't hold too much against it. I'm sure the second track will be cheerier... oh, wait. No - it matches the title in tone.

The reasons for the sparse September around these parts are many and varied. From business travel to Boggle, family to fatigue, spending to... exercising? I am trying to shake some of my overall inactivity in favour of a healthier approach. Time is yet to comment on the merits or longevity of this idea. I find Prayer for the Dying quite tiresome on initial exposure. It sounds as though there might be something of interest there, but it is buried in the supporting sounds if so. The vocal is drifting, the pace plodding and my overuse of alliteration is annoying even me by now. This is a candidate for the chop, but as with other things in the past I don't feel that ridding myself of tunes I have given no chance is helpful. It might be a grower.

Ah! More like it. Snow has a simpler sound, and a hushed, whispering singing that feels like a caress to my ears, gently drawing attention away from the nice but muted melodies that hide behind Hannigan's song. I love this woman's voice when she uses like this - all soft edges - it has a soothing quality. The synergy with the rest of the composition is pretty great too, in particular the way her tones interweave with the piano part in the arrangement. Its glorious how my ears did not know which to follow, drawn keenly to both. If this isn't the stand out track from the album I will be very surprised.

I am feeling good about the purchase at this stage - actually I think Snow probably justifies it outright for me. It is not a complete retread of old ground. The general sound of these tunes is different from either of the other albums I have thanks to changes in the arrangement - Dessner's impact perhaps? I like that it is so, for as much as I love Sea Sew, a retread offers nothing (and a retread of Passenger would be forgettable I suspect). It isn't all great, but there are some great moments.

Undertow is an odd track. I suspect it is a grower. My initial response to it is not positive, but there are elements there that I really like - the staccato strings, the general progression of the backing that provides the rhythm and structure - and I think with a few listens I might appreciate other elements of the sound more. That said, by the end of the piece it felt a little repetitive and I am glad when the next number reverts to piano to support Hannigan's ethereal singing. Her vocal style glides over and under and around the tune, which left to itself is nice distraction but no more. The song finishes rather abruptly - or it feels like it does to me, at least.

It is not a cheery album, not a bit of it. Any uplift comes from the enjoyment of her voice and the occasionally light touches of the keyboard. Pace is generally slow, funereal even, and tone is primarily sombre. This does not prevent it from having moments of real charm. There is a spot in We, The Drowned where the arrangement is left to it that is wonderfully tuneful, peaceful and absorbing.That tune is replaced by an a capella number which showcases some unusual harmonies and choices in terms of the singing. I am not sure what I make of it. On balance I am probably glad when a more expected song structure returns for Tender. Having said that the slow tempo and downbeat nature of the songs is starting to wear on me a bit.

There is real beauty in her singing, and I can hear touches of class in how the pieces have been put together. It feels really well crafted more than anything. However the darkness of the tones starts to grate after a while. What it needs is another Snow to pull up the rooting doubts. However a song titled Funeral Suit was never likely to be the shot in the arm I was after, and indeed it isn't; more of the same - nicely sung, nicely played, nicely put together but overwhelmingly morose. I think I would enjoy this more in bitesize installments rather than as a full meal. They say the album is a dying art, as good as dead, even; maybe I am finally starting to see it that way. Or maybe I am just tired; that seems more likely.

To say the last song is cheery would be misleading, but it doesn't have the same tones that have grown to irk me. There are some nice uses of electronics here too - it has a very different feel, actually and does work as a nice closer, cleanser, even uplifting things. The key line is crucial to the lightness here, but it is the electronic percussion that makes the track - a really significant part of the arrangement, front and centre in its usage but with subtle application in that despite being the thing that most draws my ear it never dominates. Most importantly it synchronises darn well with everything else used.

I feel much better about the album after that final track. Two standouts then, but if asked to pick I would have to chose Snow every time. Hannigan returned, I am happy for that, but I doubt I will consume all of this in album form again; maybe once in the car to try to let the other songs grow on me, perhaps...

Canon (Disc 1) - Ani DiFranco

Track list:

1. Fire Door
2. God's Country
3. You Had Time
4. Buildings And Bridges
5. Coming Up
6. Cradle & All
7. Shy
8. 32 Flavors
9. Dilate
10. Distracted
11. Gravel
12. Untouchable Face
13. Joyful Girl
14. Little Plastic Castle
15. Fuel
16. As Is
17. Napoleon
18. Shameless

Running time: 72 minutes
Released: 2007

At University I had a friend who liked Ani DiFranco a lot, or at least that is my recollection. I saw eye-to-eye with him on a few other artists, but never explored this particular suggestion. I can't remember what made me take a punt on this two-disc collection of DiFranco's work. I can't really remember a strong opinion either way on any of the tracks, but it's fair to say I never developed a love of her work from it.

Breathy, minimalist. That is how we begin. I can barely make out much of what she is singing, whilst the staccato pluckings that form the only accompaniment are devoid of any real tune to provide a thread running through the song. I find myself doing two listens in a day - two long ones at that - out of frustration, listlessness and boredom. I had a break to eat, do a bit of gardening and some noodling around watching YouTube vids but I am frustrated. I am trying to rest my left arm... wrist and elbow have been giving me a bit of pain recently; I suspect some sort of RSI-type thing so I am avoiding what would be my normal fallback time killers.

DiFranco has an interesting vocal approach, I will certainly grant her that. The hushed and whispered, yet urgent delivery is a real feature. She does not seem to be a great singer in the sense of carrying a tune, so it feels like an adaptation to still be effective in that role. I suspect that her primary strengths are more in writing than delivering from the early exchanges - though when that delivery makes it hard to pick out the lyrics (quite apart from the problems of doing that whilst typing this) it could be a bit self defeating, at least for me. Where the first two tunes were urgent little songs, You Had Time is a piano tune, wandering hands over keys, nothing else until quite some way in where the melody appears to transition to guitar and the vocal starts. I'm not sure that both parts of the song work together, but each part is a step up from the previous tracks. The vocal is clearer, the tune more... tuneful. Its a more gentle experience, more room to breathe. When the piano and guitar are in sync as it comes to a close you begin to get a sense of the significance of the opening wandering hands. I like something here well enough.

Maybe Ani DiFranco is an acquired taste? I thought I was starting to like even the slightly scatty guitar licks a bit more as track 4 started, but then the song devolved in chorus to random noises rather than words and I am not so sure. I prefer the tune in Buildings and Bridges, and the verses are decent, but that chorus is painful. It's good that we get a sense of percussion here that has been lacking elsewhere. Its a shame that the song has a dichotomy; like/dislike. I can definitely say I don't like Coming Up though; ugh. The arrangement is just a load of sounds chucked in a blender hoping for the best, and I think in my old age my ear is definitely prone to preferring tunes over songs. At the very least I require the former to latch onto if it isn't something I already know. We get a step up after that though... still breathy and urgent, still a seemingly flighty picking at the guitar strings, but a little more structure and purpose. Perhaps having a bit of a longer run helps. Many of the tunes to this point have been sub 3 minute affairs, though I suspect this is coincidence not causation.

I have issues; plaster coming off the wall through damp. Waiting on the plumbers' report to go make my case to next door that a leak on their side is causing me damage. It's a buy to let; I need to get hold of the landlord. I have to go to the US in a couple of week's time for a week or work, and need to shortchange my niece's birthday and miss a mate's stag do to do so. I curse my isolation, but covet it at the same time. I need to get into my front garden desperately but rain and the fact it is on a main road stay my hand. I feel blocked; frustrated, mostly at myself. This feeling means I feel I relate to the thrust of Shy which, musically at least, carries a sense of exasperation with it.

DiFranco seems to have a knack for catchy little hooks. Fundamentally, though, I feel that you need a little more than that and a sharp wit to make a good song. Many of these are a little light on the extra bits, and I don't find her hooks substantive enough to support tunes on their own. This is why the first two tracks fell down hardest for me. Since then there has been more sense of structure, provided by first the piano in You Had Time and since then through more audible percussion. 32 Flavours takes the latter far too far though, with a long percussion solo that outstays its welcome long before the track ends without returning to the song. What we get next is... yeah. To begin with Dilate is barely a song - more like words spoken (emotionally, but more spoken than sung) by someone who happens to be holding and fiddling with a guitar. Then we get a big dramatic moment which feels out of context with what went before. Afterwards the song feels more song-like but my interest in it was sunk beforehand and even more following the blow up.

Oh, Distracted is a live recording. DiFranco's intro for the song does not endear me to her - less so for the message but for the way it is imparted. The overly sharp lift off from the guitar picks is a bit too distracting. I dunno what to make of this. Perhaps its just my Britishness, or just that I was familiar with her first, but I prefer the slightly more understated angst of early Thea Gilmore over this. Gilmore's hooks are less catchy but the tunes more rounded; her lyrics are less bite-y but every bit as thoroughly considered and politic. Oh! Hah. Distracted was an interlude; the song I was reacting to was Gravel. I see, well the point and comparison still stands. We all have favourites; different strokes for different folks and all that. And so much the better for that - it'd all be dull otherwise.

Well, I don't think I've heard someone say (or sing) "f*** you" so softly before.

There are still another six tracks to go and another disc after that. I have about had my fill of her style for one sitting by this point, but I need to soldier on for another 25 minutes or so. Why? Well it is a little samey. Sure, the individual songs are all different hooks but hook and wit only goes so far, and the wit does not quite gel for me as much as it might. On reflection, I think DiFranco's style might work better in person, and her songs would certainly give you something to talk about. For home listening on a lazy weekend in mid-life with no immediate connection to her issues it all falls a little flat.

The songs have gone very low key and quiet... hah! Just as I type that Little Plastic Castle gets clown shoes - aka an arrangement more elaborate than anything that has gone before. Horns, distant but there nonetheless. I rather like the surprise, and whilst it was unexpected and comical in the vein suggested, it makes the tune work. I was about to add "and dull" and the interjection stays that boredom. Fuel is conversational in tone. It's really laid back and interesting for that as this choice lets the lyrics shine in a way that all those hooks did not quite achieve. So... had my fill? Maybe not; just heard the wrong bits. Sure, it devolves a bit by the end; repetition of a chorus-style line doesn't really sit well with the pace and tone of what went before to my ear, but it is probably my favourite of the tracks to date.

Are these later tracks softer in tone? They certainly feel less urgent and angsty and better for it. As Is carries the laid back feeling of Fuel forward with a much more melodic hook than I had come to expect. The lyrical delivery is still hushed tones, but the breathy anger is now a gentle recounting. It is far more accessible for me.

The final two tracks have [New Version] appended to their title in my player. Well I don't know the "old" versions so... That said, it feels like I have heard Napoleon before. There is a different timbre to the recording of the guitar, whilst it is a step back towards the front end of the disc in terms of how the instrument is used there is more life in this performance. I find myself thinking of Kristin Hersh for some reason whilst liking the song but finding it to just go on a little too long. The extensive use of expletives needs a mention too - it works here, but I kinda wish it didn't because, well... overuse devalues them. Shameless keeps the cleaner sound recording in common with Napoleon, but falls back into the flighty playing that characterised the opening tracks. As a result it is less impactful for me. It doesn't feel like a closer, it feels like a spare part. So I make it one, along with a handful of others. I am keeping more than I expected to from this though, and have some genuine hope for some good stuff on disc 2.