ANI DI FRANCO – SINGLE REVIEW

Ani Di Franco – Play God (Righteous Babe Records)
Ani Di Franco - Play God


Release Date: Out Now

I once bought an Ani Di Franco CD for a girl I liked to impress her. It worked and we dated for a while. It’s not one of my better stories but significant but it’s pretty much the only time that my taste in music has helped me in the wooing of the opposite sex so it’s worth putting down in black and white for posterity. Di Franco’s new single, her first release in 2 years, comes in the form of the politically charged ‘Play God’ and the wonderful accompanying video. As singles go, this is a gloriously blues infused funk tune with a message to pass on to anyone who will listen all delivered by Di Franco’s distinctive voice – part subtlety and part ferocity. This is somewhere between Ana Calvi, the Indigo Girls when they get funky with their full band and Ben Harper with his Innocent Criminals which is a mighty fine Venn diagram to be in the middle of. Like the music that followed where Motown left off, this is politicised but funky, angry but soulful, pissed off but ready to dance. Pro-choice with a kick ass bass line, as the lady says “you don’t play God, I do”.



Live Dates:

8th November – Higher Ground, South Burlington
9th November – Hart Theatre at the Egg, Albany
11th November – Music Hall of Williamsburg, Brooklyn
12th November – Landmark on Main Street, Port Washington
14th November – Berklee Performing Arts Center, Boston
15th November – State Theatre, Portland
17th November – Calvin Theatre, Northampton
18th November – NY Society for Ethical Culture – Concert Hall, New York
19th November – NY Society for Ethical Culture – Concert Hall, New York