Red Letter Year
Ani DiFranco
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| Name | Artist | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Red Letter Year | Ani DiFranco | 4:17 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Alla This | Ani DiFranco | 3:13 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Present / Infant | Ani DiFranco | 3:02 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Smiling Underneath | Ani DiFranco | 4:59 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Way Tight | Ani DiFranco | 3:50 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 6 | Emancipated Minor | Ani DiFranco | 4:30 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 7 | Good Luck | Ani DiFranco | 2:35 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 8 | The Atom | Ani DiFranco | 5:25 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 9 | Round a Pole | Ani DiFranco | 2:58 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 10 | Landing Gear | Ani DiFranco | 2:55 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 11 | Star Matter | Ani DiFranco | 2:48 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 12 | Red Letter Year Reprise | Ani DiFranco | 6:26 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 13 | Good Luck (Alternative Version) [Bonus Track] | Ani DiFranco | 2:31 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| Total: 13 Songs |
iTunes Review
Red Letter Year represents a new turn for the defiantly independent singer-songwriter who once brought a punk edge to her politically and sexually charged repertoire. Having relocated from Buffalo to New Orleans with producer and life partner Mike Napolitano and built her own studio and had her first child, DiFranco is a changed woman, no longer the searching and confused youngster figuring her way in the world. Her earned self-confidence leads her to subtler moments. Her arrangements are gentler, pulled away from the brittle acoustic folk and funk of her legacy towards quieter textures that feature unusual and eclectic orchestration of horns and brass. “Present / Infant” is an obvious standout as it addresses DiFranco’s newfound motherhood with a gentle vibraphone tracing her pulse. “Smiling Underneath” ventures towards easy listening as DiFranco sings with a smoothness that matches the lush recorded textures. “Emancipated” adds a low-key funk. Politics and social activism still lurk in the title track and within the concerns of “Atom” and “All This.” DiFranco’s decided, however, to put the music ahead of the message.
Recent Customer Reviews
best yet
by Dr. Nina Evilthis may not be her f"olky whimsical make you laugh then make you think" albums that made us fall in love with her in the first place. But this album for me was better, it was a, "make you laugh make you think then make you CRY" album. Ani was the soundtrack to my childhood. i remember sitting in the car driving to a new camp ground with my mom, not saying anything, just listening to the music and being HAPPY because we had her as the soundtrack to another new adventure. and i hope to make more adventures with her new album, as should you.
is ani back?
by drewbie69I am pleasantly surprised. Ani has been a quantity over quality artist for many years now. Her one-record-per-year ethos worked when it was just voice, guitar, and drums. But as she started to expand, including a wider variety of instruments and experimenting with arrangements, she couldn't keep it up. So many of her albums since the early 2000s feel like they're approaching something great, but never quite make it there. Not to mention, many were just questionably produced and performed - rendering decent (sometimes great) songs unlistenable.
The birth of her child finally forced her to slow down, and even she has noted the positive effects it had on the creation of this record. I'm impressed with how cohesive the album sounds - not just in how the instruments blend together (suprising given the stark panning techniques), but also how the songs move from one to another. The performances are quite good and the arrangements are focused and intentional as they move in interesting directions. Sadly, the only distracting thing is Ani herself. Overall, I like the raspy creature her voice has become over the last 18 years, and it really shines on certain songs. But some of the songs really seem well-suited to a delicate and subtle vocal, which Ani can no longer execute. Some of lyrics are also cringeworthy, and it's hit-or-miss as to whether she salvages them with her vocal delivery.
But despite my misgivings, Red Letter Year is still a beautiful record. I hope that Ani takes to heart the virtue of slowing down, as the record clearly benefited from the idea. I may have to classify myself as a born-again Ani fan. Kudos!
Another beautiful album by Ms. DiFranco
by Daryn189787261Believe it or not, I became aware of Ani DiFranco at some point in year 2005. I was still in high school at that point in my life and my yearbook advisor was always listening to Ani. Whenever we could listen to music in our spare time, she would put in her iPod and Ani was always her first choice. Ani's music is very unique and difficult to get used to the first time you hear it, but after I had heard her music a few times, I was hooked. Not only did she download me some of her favorite songs, but I immediately got in iTunes and purchased some of her music. Today, I pretty much have everything that iTunes offers of Ani's and this album in particular is one of her best. If you are unfamiliar with Ani's work, this is not the best album for you to listen to first. For a quick review, I recommend "Canon"; the closest thing to a greatest-hits album that Ani has ever released.
This album, however, is truly amazing because it shows Ani in a new light. Her previous work can sometimes be dark, and for those who don't fully understand can call it depressing. While some of her music has the ability to be sad and haunting, this is the first album where DiFranco freely admits that she "doesn't want to forget to have a good time." Over the years, Ani has evolved into being one of the greatest artists of our time and this album is just another notch in her recorded canon. Not only is the album sweet and loving, but you can tell that Ani is in a new place in her life.
Every single song on this album is an achievement; being able to listen to an entire album from start to finish is very rare and I congratulate Ani for being able to keep her voice and at the same time, being able to admit that it's so much easier to be happy in life and to appreciate the things that you have instead of yearning for whatever it is you want or what you think your missing. A sweet album in Ani's career that cannot be ignored.
Biography
Born: September 23, 1970 in Buffalo, NY
Genre: Singer/Songwriter
Years Active: '80s, '90s, '00s
Top Albums and Songs by Ani DiFranco
| Name | Album | Time | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Both Hands | Ani DiFranco | 3:38 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 2 | Untouchable Face | Dilate | 4:38 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 3 | Wishin' and Hopin' | My Best Friend's Wedding (Music from the Motion Picture) | 3:14 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 4 | Hypnotized | Reprieve (Bonus Version) | 4:11 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
| 5 | Shameless | Dilate | 4:51 | $0.99 | View In iTunes |
- $9.99
- Genres: Singer/Songwriter, Music, Alternative, Alternative Folk
- Released: Sep 30, 2008
- ℗ 2008 Righteous Babe Records, Inc.
