From: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org (ecto-digest) To: ecto-digest@smoe.org Subject: ecto-digest V9 #84 Reply-To: ecto@smoe.org Sender: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Errors-To: owner-ecto-digest@smoe.org Precedence: bulk ecto-digest Thursday, March 27 2003 Volume 09 : Number 084 Today's Subjects: ----------------- new natalie ["neal copperman" ] new ani (kind of long) [JoAnn Whetsell ] ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 18:07:58 -0000 From: "neal copperman" Subject: new natalie According to Natalie Merchant's web site, she will soon be releasing her first independent album "The House Carpenter's Daughter". I'm not sure I'm that excited by the description, which sounds remarkably like a lot of people's first independent albums. "It will feature traditional and contemporary folk music with Miss Merchant's unique sound." Interesting title, given the 10KM associated John & Mary had an excellent album called "The Weedkiller's Daughter". neal np: Tigerlily - Natalie Merchant ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 26 Mar 2003 13:31:00 -0500 From: JoAnn Whetsell Subject: new ani (kind of long) A while ago Irvin posted about Ani DiFranco's new album, Evolve "i slowly have been losing interest in ANI. pretty much everything post LIVING IN CLIP has been not my cup of tea, and after one listen to EVOLVE i can't say much other than i'll probably be shelving this one too. it's a shame because i have fond memories of pre-LIVING IN CLIP albums. i don't COMPLETELY chalk it up to ANI's music. i haven't really listened to her earlier stuff that much either, and i find that when i do, i can only listen to one or two CD's or even half of one of her CD's. perhaps my own tastes have EVOLVEd away from what she is doing." At the time, I felt I hadn't listened to the disc enough to give a fair review, but here are my opinions now. A few weeks ago, before "Evolve" came out I pulled out all my Ani DiFranco discs and listened to them in order. That's everything except "Up Up Up Up Up Up" and "Revelling/Reckoning" (which I sold back) and "Like I Said" and the "Swing ep" which I never bought. It's interesting to note the progression from Ani to Ani and back-up to Ani and band to Ani as bandleader. With "Evolve," she's taken a bit of a step backwards in time stylistically. There are still a lot of horns as on the past few records. But the song "Slide" sounds a lot like "If It Isn't Her" from "Imperfectly." Most songs are acoustic, and some are solo or close to solo. I think the album art/packaging is the best yet of any of her albums. Her lyrics are as sharp as ever. She steers pretty clear of politics, at least overtly, except for the title track "Evolve" and the 10 = minute "Serpentine" which rips on national politics, the recent corporate scandals, education, the music industry, and other social issues. All that said, it did take the album a few listens to grow on me and for the songs to start individuating themselves and turning into earworms. (That's when I know I like an album, when various songs start replaying themselves in my head.) I think it's true that most of her recent work has needed more listening and growing time than her previous work. That's partly because of the arrangements and also a bit of how she uses her voice on some songs. Looking back, I wish I'd spent more time with R/R. Perhaps I wouldn't have sold it back. Certainly, I thought "So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter" was really well done when I first got it, but it's only been recently that I'm really *enjoying* it. Having heard "Shrug" and "Welcome To:" (which closes out the first disc of SMSSML as well as "Evolve") previously also made "Evolve" a little easier to get into. I think it's a really good disc (though I may never like the song "O My My"). Definitely worth getting if you've been a fan, especially if you've liked her recent work. But it may still grow on you, even if you haven't liked her last couple of albums so much. It certainly did on me. And if not, you can always find comfort in supporting an artist who undoubtedly can be considered one of the most original, provocative, passionate, and committed of our time. JoAnn ------------------------------ End of ecto-digest V9 #84 *************************