Ani DiFranco
“So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter”Ani DiFranco isn’t what you would call one of music’s best kept secrets, but she certainly doesn’t get the kind of credit that an artist deserves after releasing 14 full-length albums on her own label. With her non-stop touring in support of these albums, Ani has built what some people might call a fanatic group of followers. In spite of this fact, she still won’t sell as many records as Britney Spears.
Perhaps this is because Ani tackles issues that young Spears’ publicist would outlaw from her writing repertoire. Yes, some people might call Ani a feminist. The common misconception here is that feminists take stances on women’s rights because they hate men. The truth of the matter is that Ani takes stances on more issues than all of the top forty combined, devoid of the pretensions of her peers, hoping only to educate her fans in any way possible.
Misconceptions aside, DiFranco has released her second live album, “So Much Shouting, So Much Laughter,” in response to the overwhelming number of fans that demand a follow-up to Ani’s first acclaimed live album, “Living in Clip.”
This new live album is essentially two albums in one. The first album, subtitled “Stray Cats,” is a compilation of Ani’s fan favorites in addition to some versions of songs that you won’t otherwise hear, while the second disc, “Girl’s Singing Night,” could very well be the set list from Ani’s last tour.
The sound of this album, or artist for that matter, is not easy to describe. While at Ani’s most base level she seems to be a folk artist whose sound and message harkens back to when all music was of political importance, she also dabbles in funk, rock, and soul, while making these transitions seem natural to a casual listener.
What makes this record special is that it not only encapsulates the energy and beauty of DiFranco’s live performances, but it also does so in a phase of her career where she is traveling with a full band. While DiFranco’s solo performances are feral and bare-bones in their sheer aural assault at earnestness, these group efforts help to update Ani’s classics and shape her new material in a way that makes them more accessible and yet no less endearing. For this reason alone, this album makes for a solid introduction to this seminal artist, or a good addition to a faithful fan’s collection.
Like any other artist, Ani DiFranco is not for everyone. Then again, neither is social consciousness.