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About Just out. (Portland, OR) 1983-2013 | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2005)
april 1. 2005 ’ jUSt OUt 35 MUSIC Knuckle Down Am DiFranco • Righteous Babe he crazy'prolific Ani DiFranco appears to be finished trying to convince the world she’s an invincible one-woman island. Instead, she’s re-embracing collaboration and hunkering down to the task of making mesmer izing music out of her ever-present misery. “I am a powerful Amazon warrior, not some sniveling girl,” Ani proclaimed on last year’s Educated Guess, of which she wrote, sang, played and pnxiuced every note. The recently released Knuckle Down finds her surrounded by a stellar supporting cast of musicians and aided for the first time in her career by a producer, fellow musician and Madonna brother-in-law Joe Henry. Though she’d never admit it, maybe Ani just needed a little help from her friends. Her past couple of years included a divorce and the death of her father, events she alludes to on Knuckle Down with characteristically clever wordplay. “ ’Course neither of us were wearing helmets, and our blood was just everywhere” is her clear-eyed postmortem of a ruined relation ship on the spare funk of “Modulation,” despite later conceding that her ex was “better than any drug.” The gently percolating “Sunday Morning” details domestic bliss, only to uncer emoniously pull the rug out from under us in the last verse. “Manhole,” an open-wound raw meditation on infidelity, has Ani playing emo tional MacGyver: “After my dreaded behead ing, I tied that sucker back on with a string.” Musically, Knuckle Down runs the gamut, from the familiar staccato folk of the title track to the clattering, Tom Waits-y blues of the sex- T Mood swings Their loss is our gain year-old married mother, maybe Tori’s just not that pissed off or messed up anymore. The Beekeeper continues in the easier- I listening vein of 2OO2’s gorgeous travelogue Scarlet’s Walk. “Parasol” is a stunning opener by J im T hompson on par with 1991’s “Crucify,” and the sultry “Sweet the Sting” could heat up the iciest of bedrooms. “The Power of Orange Knickers” is The Beekeeper ually playful, metaphor-heavy “Seeing Eye bewitching but underutilizes guest vocalist Dog” to the sprawling, spooky, intruder-in-the- Tori Amos • Epic Damien Rice almost as blatantly as she did home spoken word epic “Parameters.” Nine Inch Nails’ Trent Reznor on 1993’s “Past Not everything works perfectly; in fact, the HI hate elevator music,” Tori Amos declared the Mission.” “Goodbye Pisces,” the most elo final third of the record drags like a paralyzed I in 1991. Fourteen years later and she’s quent breakup song of the year, is guaranteed limb until the stunning, strangely hopeful closer, ■ just released a record that wouldn’t sound to send you scuttling for Kleenex. “Recoil,” in which Ani juxtaposes the final days out of place on the way up to the top floor. “Cars and Guitars” describes love in auto of her father’s life with her own self-imposed The $18 question: Is it a trip worth taking? motive and fast food drive-thru terminology exile in a “sty strewn with half-wTitten songs.” 1 should admit that I hesitate to give The and provides further proof of Tori being The Like a bio-diesel engine converts vegetable Beekeeper a lukewarm review for fear of being Weirdest Lyricist Alive Besides Frank Black. oil into fuel, Ani DiFranco continually trans whisked off in the night by avenging faeries The playful “Ireland” is the album’s most fun and emasculated in song by a long shot, lauding the simple plea some fire-lit forest rit sures of driving a Saab-ful of friends to the land ual. Or at least chas of leprechauns. The only track where Tori tised for not being sounds remotely pissed off is “Hoochie better versed in all Woman,” but it’s only halfhearted, and her phi things esoteric to landering lover gets off the hook tixi easily more fully appreciate with a verbal bitch slap: “You can keep the Tori’s body of work. house and the bank accounts ’cause boy I bring The woman who home the bacon.” once graphically Tori Amos caused Little Earthquakes with described her rape— her debut but would be lucky to make your a cappella, no less— dishes rattle with The Beekeeper. However, in the back seat of a when you’re Queen Bee of the Piano, you don’t Cadillac (1991’s “Me need seismic activity occurring with every and a Gun”) and later new release. jn forms everyday heartaches into compelling spat, “You think I’m a queer/I think you’re a music. You never want to wish bad things for queer” (1996’s “Blood Roses”) takes few J im T hompson wants to write full time, when and your friends, but let’s cross our fingers that her chances with her new work, unless you count if he ever grows up. Meanwhile, he doesn’t cry for life doesn’t get too insanely happy anytime in adding an organ to the mix and filling all but yesterday because nobody knows what’s gonna the near future. 30 seconds of an 80-minute CD. Now a 41- happen tomorrow. Talk and be Heard Relax and be Inspired Zaytoon...a new kind of bar --------- Opening Soon --------- We’re hiring. For all positions. We’d love to hear from you. Visit www.zaytoonbar.com for more information. If you have any questions please e-mail us at info@zaytoonbar.com
