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Ani Difranco. Her name inspires many different reactions. Some see her as the modern day underground Dylan whose had come to gripps with commerical recognition. Others view her as a sellout who betrays the underground which supported her by allowing her song (’32 Flavors’) to be used in National Football League ad. However you feel about the woman, you have to respect her for at least being prolific and ever evolving. That brings us to her new EP, Swing Set. The disc starts out with a radio and album edit of the song ‘Swing’ off last year’s To The Teeth. I happen to actually enjoy the radio edit with its elimination of the pointless jam in the beginning of the album version. Sweet and to the point, the song is representation of DiFranco’s current incarnation of funk mistress. Next up is a remix of the title track To The Teeth. This paean to the problem of school/children violence. While th album version dragged, the remix(with the addition of a drum machine and full band arrangement)keeps yr heading nodding along with Ani as she indicts the entertainment industry.
The last three songs on the EP are covers. Her cover of Woody Guthrie’s a dust bowl anthem “Do Re Me” is simultaneously inspired and somewhat lacking. Her spirit in performing this song in not in doubt but the way it is played and arranged makes it sounds a little too much like a track she left of Little Plastic Castles. After my initial listen of her cover of Phil Ochs achingly beautiful “When I’m Gone’ I was disappointed but with repeated listening her reworking of meter and rhythm has grown on me to become my favorite song on this disc. Finally this disc closes a cover of Dylan’s ‘ Hurricane’. I would have to give her mega points for rapping the verses and the amazing full band performance of the song. It is one cover that is almost as vibrant as the original, which is usually an impossibility if the original is of any quality.
The liner say this cd is picture of ani as a artist in progress. Really this all we can ask isn't it? An artist to remain true and progress. Thankfully Ani has, for the most part, done this.
4 out of 5 folk rock dentists would enjoy this selection.
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