Ani Difranco - Knuckle Down
|
List Price: Our Price: $7.73 You Save: $9.25 (54%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $2.24 (click here) Category: Music CD See more new music releases 
|
|---|
Buy this Music CD at online store in your country
Canadian Music Store
Canadian Music Store
Free Music Notes for Knuckle Down
Free Music Review: Ani's most accessable and enjoyable album in years
Hit: 4 Stars
Ani DiFranco continues to release albums left and right, sometimes just as Ani solo, at other times as a full blown band, and at yet other times somewhere in between. Chalk up this album in the latter category.
"Knuckle Down" (12 tracks; 57 min.) starts off very strongly with the title track and "Studying Stones", only to reach an ever higher plateau as her band joins in and rocks on "Manhole" and Modulation", the latter being the best track on the album. Sandwiched in between those songs is "Sunday Morning", a great melancholic view back on a relationship gone wrong. After the stellar first half of the album, things falter a bit. "Parameters" is the now seemingly obligatory spoken piece/poem that appears on most recent albums. "Paradigm" is one more standout, but towards the end the album starts to lag a bit and ultimately is a bit overlong.
That said, "Knuckle Down" is overall a great listen, and in particular the first half recalls the best music that Ani has ever done. Even though this album is now just about 2 years old, it still sounds fresh to me and I play this more often than any other Ani album. Throughout "Knuckle Down", Ani sounds like she might even be enjoying (!) the very music that she is bringing. Highly recommended, and not just for Ani fans.
Free Music Review: A Very Good Album
Hit: 4 Stars
A very good album with strong melodies and lyrics sung with a lot of heart. I hadn't bought any new Ani music for a long time. The last couple I had listened to did not seem to have the same intensity as her earlier material, but I decided to take a chance on this one and was thoroughly impressed. Unlike others that reviewed the album, I really enjoy "Seeing Eye Dog", it has a bluesy, gritty feel, but has Ani's signature sound throughout.
Do not expect this to sound like her earlier works, while it is an album full of integrity, this album has a fuller, more produced sound to it. Listen to it the first time without any expectations, and you will really enjoy it.
Free Music Review: different, but i love it!
Hit: 4 Stars
this one is pretty different in my opinion, but defenteley not bad.
there is more songs about her feelings, as far as relationships, i think than others in the past, but the songs are really quite beautiful. plus, there are still the exceptions that arent just about ani's love at the time. her voice sounds great on this one too, and overall, its just...grand.
the only song i usually dont listen to is seeing eye dog. i dont know, the music and everything, i dont hate, but i defenteley dont like very much.
so, all i have left to say is i love this cd just as much as some of her others.
Free Music Review: can a brother get some fervor?
Hit: 4 Stars
not her best stuff, but it's solid. the tracks with tony scherr on guitar (sunday morning in particular) are great. what a tasteful guitar player. not to metion that studying stones is as good a song as she's ever written. i usually like her poems, and although the one on this album (parameters)was effectively creepy, to quote josh baskin, "i don't get it." as a result of this, along with the lack of political indictments and/or fervor, or a least an attempt to rally the troops for the coming labor war, i'm taking away a star and i'm not gonna give it back until someone makes with the fervor.Free Music Review: Excellent Lyrics
Hit: 4 Stars
Ani surely has the art of writing wonderful lyrics down pat. They are interesting, unique and contrary to other artists, they have a wonderful rhythm without any sophmoric rhyme scheme. In this album, there is both the classic Ani acoustic guitar riff I love so much from other albums along with new sounds. Even if you've never been an Ani fan, she is always a fresh voice for music today.