The Art of Storytelling

Ani Difranco's 'Knuckle Down' tells vivid stories of love, reflection

By CHHUN SUN

This time around it’s different, but it still has the same effect.

After 16 albums since 1990 (releasing at least one every year), songwriter, vocalist, poet, guitarist and political activist Ani DiFranco opted to ride solo on last year’s critically acclaimed “Educated Guess,” receiving praises from several publications, including Billboard magazine and the Los Angeles Times.

She continues her dominance in using political activism to drive her music. This method has gained her a huge following.

Over the years, she has transformed her music from the folk punk of her early albums to the bleak, acous-tic vibe of her current work.

In her latest album, “Knuckle Down,” DiFranco continues to use her music to get a point across, as well as touch on love and family values.

But this time, instead of going solo, DiFranco teams up with Joe Henry, an acclaimed performer and songwriter with nine highly regarded solo albums to his name. This combination makes DiFranco’s lyrics even more refined, and her production as solid as ever.

The album begins with the title track. The lyrics, which seem well crafted and possibly inspired by journal entries, coincide beautifully with her guitar play. She croons her lyrics as powerfully if they were spoken, with such sincerity that every word requires listeners to take time to understand them.

DiFranco starts off early like any fierce protestor speaking his or her mind at a rally. She is that protestor: the one who never backs down.

“I think I’m done gunnin’ to get closer/ to some imagined bliss/ I gotta knuckle down,” she croons heavily, matching the strong music.

She performs self-examination with “Studying Stones,” a melodic song with traditional guitar and violin play. On “Manhole,” DiFranco succumbs to the reality that sometimes you can’t just throw memories into a hole forever, no matter how much pain they bring. The bleak, acoustic feel resonates throughout the album.

Each song showcases her poetic ability. DiFranco’s songs are unlike popular songs often heard on the radio; instead they are constructed like poems — sometimes without the occasional chorus. But that does not take away from her storytelling.

“Paradigm” is a revealing tale of DiFranco’s upbringing with her mom, who, according to the song, participated in grassroots activism. The song paints a vivid picture of how activism was instilled in DiFranco. “I was just a girl in a room full of women/ licking stamps and laughing/ I remember the feeling of community brewing/ of democracy happening,” she sings.

With “Knuckle Down,” DiFranco continues to illustrate the world through her eyes.