Dilate
Ani DiFranco
Righteous
Babe Records, 1996
Reviewed by
Shawn Linderman
Ani DiFranco is unlike anything you may have heard in the world of folk music.
She pioneers at the genre's fringes, far beyond the civilized borders, tame streets and
pleasant sidewalks. On a casual first listen, many might grimace at the "punk"
taste of Dilate, but if you really listen (and have a discerning intelligence - a
requisite to appreciate this woman's talents), you will marvel at the sophistication of
her instrumental artistry, perception and incisive writing.
The opening track, "Untouchable Face," reminds me of the '70s cartoon poster.
The poster depicted a mouse about to die in the talons of an oncoming hawk; the mouse
stands defiantly facing the hawk, giving it the finger. The caption read: "The last
great act of defiance." Instead of the ubiquitous woe-is-me treatments given to songs
of unfulfilled love, Ani instead eloquently expresses her disagreement with losing the
perfect partner. You'll chuckle with the hurt on this one.
"Outta Me, Onto You," a warning of emotions about to overflow, is well treated
by tough, harsh guitar riffs, a rap-like vocal delivery and uncontrolled cries bursting
over everything. "Superhero" deals with lost love, and the vanished feeling of
invincibility that came with it. Ani's guitar is much softer, but insistently driving on
this tune. The title track has the musical feel of a Homeric epic - Ani details the
strength to be found in love, but finds she must be truly Herculean to not be like
everyone else when love departs.
After
four (albeit unusual) love songs, DiFranco does a funky, funeral cover of "Amazing
Grace." "Shameless" is Dilate's hook track, a powerful statement
in defense of personal lifestyles. The funky guitar licks on this song are pure dynamite.
Eminently danceable!
"Done Wrong" is a pretty song where Ani's vocals are softer (and the listener
can better appreciate this aspect of her talent). It contains some of her most insightful
lyrics, capturing the real problems evidenced at the end of a relationship: "How
could you do nothing and say, "I'm doing my best" / How could you take almost
everything / and then come back for the rest? / How could you beg me to stay / reach out
your hands and plead / and then pack up your eyes and run away / as soon as I
agreed?"
If "Done Wrong" is a lament for a dying relationship, "Going Down" is
a scathing rejection of one. Ani instructs her former lover of the futility of doing
anything but surrendering completely. The song is complete with a megaphone-like vocal
treatment of the FBI surrounding the robbers in a bank. "Adam and Eve" is the
final love song (the phrase has a unique flavor when juxtaposed with the name DiFranco),
detailing the sad realizations of an empty love affair. Dilate closes with
"Joyful Girl," another DiFranco statement of self: no excuses for what I am or
what I do, they're me.
Dilate opens musical territory few in folkdom dare to tread. Sadly, most will
stay in their safe little towns of pretty tunes and pretty lyrics and pretty sameness. For
those who feel that burning desire to go farther out and experience life at a wilder
level, Ani DiFranco blazes a path to a new world with a flair and individuality common by
to all of history's great explorers. I am certain that 10 years from now her music will
still be unique and fresh in the annals of folk music, like Talking Heads in the rock
realm.
This review originally appeared on The Folk And Acoustic Music Exchange
