Evolve - Ani DiFranco
Evolve Image
Metascore

Generally favorable reviews - based on 12 Critics What's this?

User Score

Generally favorable reviews- based on 12 Ratings

  • Summary: Still going strong 15 years and 13 albums into her career (and that's not including live recordings or other compilations), Ani DiFranco returns with 12 new tracks backed by a five-piece band.
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 6 out of 12
  2. Negative: 1 out of 12
  1. She is to Norah Jones what Ornette Coleman is to Kenny G. [21 Mar 2003, p.112]
  2. 80
    The songs are richly and surprisingly textured, having more in common with experimental jazz than folk. [#15, p.122]
  3. 60
    Make the most of these subtly funked-up arrangements with their horns and clarinets and bebop percussion. [Jun 2003, p.104]
  4. The singer spends most of Evolve dithering on elastic, airy, funk-jazz excursions that convey few opinions or emotions, not to mention hooks.

See all 12 Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 8 out of 10
  2. Mixed: 0 out of 10
  3. Negative: 2 out of 10
  1. NShockey
    10
    Great album. Not really Ani's best, but it's a change and all of the other critics probably will change their mind on this one in the next few years, but then it'll be too late. Ani has to be listened to more than one for anyone to like it! I like every single song on the album fr its different reason, and none of them should stand alone and be redicule. Ani has done it again! Expand
  2. StheB
    8
    This was a phenomenal CD. Not the place one would start an Ani collection but a brilliant record anyway. The song "Slide" speaks like early Ani with lyrics like, "When I look at you I squint, You are that beautiful." and the guitar arrangement is just more mature than in the past. Then there is "Evolve" which if you really hear, explains everything about where she is and where she wants to go. I hate to keep naming songs but I HAVE to mention "Serpentine", the 10 minute solo arrangement that has to be heard to be understood. That I think is my favorite song overall. She speaks back and fprth from subjects of love ("I get f*cked up when I'm alone"), to the state of music biz ("Hip-Hop is tied up in a back room with a logo in it's mouth/cause the master's tools will never dismantle the master's house!"). The song is rightly named. There are songs I could do without (Icarus, Second Intermission) but the CD as whole is brilliant! The body of work unmatchable. Expand
  3. A decent album from one of our most innovative modern musicians and poets, but certainly not among her best. Still, there are a few musical gems here, like Shrug, Slide, and Here For Now, and her lyrics - as always - are smarter than anyone else's. Expand
  4. scotf
    1
    the same tired crap you've already heard from ani for years.

See all 10 User Reviews