M'bem Di Fora - Lura

Advantages: Some good tracks...
Disadvantages: A lot of it is very samey...

...Arcan, but this could be because it is one of only three non-English songs here. It stands out because of the change in language and I happen to prefer her singing in her natural tongue. Although it has the same kind of beat and feel to it, it sounds somehow more complete and less derivative than most of the album. The other Ukrainian songs - Kolomyika and Hutsul Girl - are good tracks too and some of the best on the album. The former has a lovely haunting slow opening to it, but doesn't sound as fresh as Arcan, perhaps suffering from its placing on the CD. By the twelfth track, even my enthusiasm is waning. Kolomyika does have a few interesting musical accompaniments going on and some angry shouting from Olexander Ksenofontov, which is very effective, but the shi-ga-di-na-donna bits are very reminiscent of Wild Dances (which provided... Read review

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Advantages: Powerful, honest, dedicated effort by an up-and-coming musician.
Disadvantages: Some may not like the bold approaches to controversial topics.

...be "Talk To Me Now," one of my favorite DiFranco songs. This medium-paced acoustic guitar medley is thoroughly saturated with Ani's emotions, her personal experiences in a strange new city scattered throughout the composition. She is raw and bold, capturing her determination on record and exposing it for the entire world to partake of. "Yeah, and when I'm approached in a dark alley I don't lift up my skirt / In this city self-preservation is a full-time occupation / I'm determined to survive on this shore, you know I don't avert my eyes anymore / In a man's world I am a woman by birth and after nineteen times around I have found that they will stop at nothing once they know what you are worth, talk to me now" This folk musician is one of the most influential artists I have ever heard. Out of all the CDs in my collection (almost 300... Read review

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Advantages: As with the others I've reviewed, this record is original, thought provoking, honest, and introspective - with plenty of varied musical styles to keep the listener hooked.
Disadvantages: There are a couple of tracks that seem a bit "out of place" though they are still more than worth listening to.

...As you all know good and well, Ani DiFranco is my all-time, never-beaten, most-favorite musician. Ever. To me, she’s even better than legendary Stevie Ray Vaughan who, here in Texas, is worshiped as the godlike figure that he really was. She’s even cooler than Melissa Etheridge, way more talented than Courtney Love, and – simply put – one of the most honest musicians in today’s wild recording industry. I love her music, and while I don’t completely agree with each and every message she sends to her listeners, I can still enjoy hearing her point of view through song and spoken word. She founded Righteous Babe Records in 1990. It is an independent record label based in Buffalo, New York that still utilizes business from local artists, copy shops, et cetera in order to help her produce, design... Read review

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