Ani DiFranco's Reprieve

Popular for her folk sounds and political lyrics, Ani DiFranco fails to disappoint on her sixteenth studio album, Reprieve. The album is exceptionally mellow, yet it is not at all dull. Rather, DiFranco’s calmness allows the listener to focus on her lyrical skills.
Despite having slightly more angst-laden vocals than the rest of the album, “Decree” is representative of DiFranco’s usual style, its lyrics a clear critique of the media.Many of the songs convey similar themes, expressing assorted complaints about society (“Shroud” denounces conformity, Enron and Halliburton receive shout-outs in “Millennium Theater”).
DiFranco comes across as somewhat whiney at points throughout the album, but as a contrast, she makes herself more endearing by including some personal lyrics about self-view (“In the Margins”) and unrequited love (“Unrequited”). For fans of the singer-songwriter genre, DiFranco’s newest release is a must-buy, as this album showcases her lyrical and guitar-playing skill without over-emphasizing her political views.