In the nineties Ani Difranco was a kick in the ass to the Lilith Fair sirens basking in their feelings, bringing a punk attitude to the strum of her alternative folk. Now twenty-two albums deep in her career Unprecedented Shit (Righteous Babe Records) finds her older and wiser, yet still aware of her mission statement.

Even for an artist who normally gets the job done with an acoustic guitar, this album is stripped down. The biggest reason for this change is Difranco, who normally acted as her own producer, decided to switch things up and brought BJ Burton along to handle the job. Burton is known for his work with pop artists such as Charli XCX and Lights. Given his past work, it is not surprising more electronic elements have crept into the album.

Ani is not just raging against any machine here, as she stays true to that which has driven her over the years, even if age has made her wiser and more focused on the battles she is picking. If politics in music is not your thing, then you must have not made it past her Plastic Little Castle album. On a song like “Baby Roe” there is more nuance in the subject matter.

At 53, Difranco’s voice might not carry the same vigor it once did, but still can dig in and give the songs the guts long-time fans still want from her after the years. The electronic elements work well on the ominous tone of the title track, a song that serves as a reminder her songwriting plays more to where she puts her voice, rather than the power with which she gets it there, as Difranco finds her soulful sweet spot.

Where her songs were once rallying cries of sexually explorative college girls, she is now focused on how things like cell phones are affecting society and the woes of social media. With age has come a broader perspective that gives the songs a larger wisdom, even flirting with metaphysics – one of the album’s strengths.

The chord phrasing of “Boots of a Soldier” holds more Jazz and Blues musings, highlighting the fact she has always been an underrated guitarist. “You Forgot to Speak” is more atmospheric than expected, and feels more like something she would have done at the peak of her career, and with “The Thing at Hand” she dismisses the notion of identity that kids these days are so invested in, showing there are more than two perspectives on the topic.

The closing track is less focused, and the music under her voice does feel like her hometown of New Orleans, but wanders with a listless arrangement, giving it a somewhat jammy feel.

Unprecedented Shit finds Difranco at a place that makes sense for who she is and where she is at this phase of her life, and is an album that does justice to her legacy

Buy the album here:
https://anidifranco.bandcamp.com/album/unprecedented-sh-t

8 / 10
WIL CIFER