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Educated Guess
: THIS is the record for all you old fans of Ani, who liked Not A Pretty Girl, and Puddle Dive, and her debut album. This is back to bare bones Ani; no band, no long musical solos, just pure Ani! For those who don't remember what that means or are late to the Ani D. band wagaon, that excellent soul stirring lyrics, and killer guitar playing. She's grown up though and these are quiet songs for the most part, with a little uptempo number like "Bliss Like This" reminiscent of "Heartbreak Even" thrown in to vary the pace. Problem is that's just what 'bliss like this' feels like, like it was thrown in. There are more of her poems also which you'll either love or hate, nothing like "self Evident" though. Ani shines on the title track, "Educated Guess" jumping back and forth from deeply introspective to singing right to the listener; "I have this whole new family/and I'm in love with each of them." she sings in the last verse, just lovely. On "Bubble" she's aiming at some past love saying, "I want you always to remember for me/baby if you can/how much you hated the woman who made you a man." Ouch! My favorite is "Bodily" on of the best and saddest songs I've ever heard. Half quivering, half bellowing she sings, "You broke me bodily/...in fact I'm laughing less in general/but I've learned alot at my own funeral/and I knew youd be the death of me..." You just don't get this stuff from Britney or any of the so called American Idols, but don't get me started! Until the end of time, make mine Ani.
 Ani's latest is timidly beautiful. The lyrics are ingenious as usual, but the instrumentation speaks of a shift. Her last album was called Evolve, and I think it is the duty of Ani's fanbase to do just that. The mood is perhaps more subdued and less fiery than in other releases, but in tracks like "Animal" and "Grand Canyon" classic Ani principles are present.
Ani has always been a fearlessly introspective writer, and these songs are no exception. The emotions dominating her pesonal life cannot help but pervade her art, anything less would be disappointing. As always the hooks are insanely catching, and given the chance will dominate your stereo. Speaking of domination, the quiet demeanor of this record deserves several listenings. This is a collection of subtleties and after thoughts, evanscent passions and violent whims. Do yourself the courtesy of allowing its unabrasive nature to be revealed. Listen not only for the maturation of a working artist, but for the kind of unabashed candor that would do us all some good. Don't warn the masses against the CD without devoting the time to make a temperant judgement. "Swim" "Origami" and "Bubble" are highly recommended. Those who have been begging for more spoken word have been heard. Invest some thought, and make an educated guess.
ani difranco is someone that is hit and miss with me. i love reckoning/revelling, little plastic castle, so much shouting/so much laughter(her latest live cd) and evolve. dilate is pretty good but the rest are just ok. i do love 31 flavors a lot but not the cd it's from as a whole. i got her new cd educated guess and put it in my dvd/vcr combo. when it was over i wasnt sure if i liked it because i couldn't hear it very well, my hearing is bad, so i put it in my computer and played it again. i still couldn't tell so i put it my portable cd player and went to bed. my opinion of the cd is mixed. when i read the lyrics online at her website i was blown away. the music on the other hand i am not sure about. this cd is not immeadiately catchy but that may be it saving grace. i normally listen to a cd once when i first buy it and then put it up. sometimes never listening to it again but this cd is one that i can't do that with. i want to like this new cd so i keep listening to see what i am missing. in doing so i find myself liking it more and more. the tracks that stand out for me are educated guess, origami, bliss like this, you each time, animal, company and bubble. given more time the rest will strike me as well. me and ani have a long strong relationship much like me and the person and i am seeing. and this relationship with ani is one that i want to keep seeing. with this cd i have a strong educated guess that ani will only get better and better.
If anyone knows Ani DiFranco they know that she is an extremely talented woman. If you own any of her CDs, or all of them as I do, you know that each one is different. Ani's music isn't about staying the same throughout the years, she strives to learn and grow thoughout each album. This album takes some time to get used to, as do all of the rest of them. To be a fan of Ani DiFranco you need to have an open mind and grow along with her. If you're not that flexible you wont like this CD because as I said earlier it does take a little getting used to. Personally, I bought it the first day it came out and I didn't particularly have any opinion one way or another, but after listening to it the first time I thought I would give it another go and let it loop around. Other than a few given days, its been looping around in my cd player ever since.
Ani DiFranco is one of the best singer/songwriters of our time. Some might disagree but many would agree. As said in other reviews, old Ani fans will love this. I am included in the "old fan" group, I've listened to Ani for about 9 years now and she surprises me everytime. Musicians are supposed to evolve (no pun intended) over time and not put out the same stuff over and over. Ani surprises me (you) each time. Nothing compares to Ani live and this album may take some time to get used to for newbies but us long time kids will love it immediately. I've heard many Ani fans say they miss her fierce stacato playing, well this album has just that. The thing is though, it's fierce playing but at a slower pace. She is in no rush. She is not out to impress. She is in it for the art. My personal favorite after deciding for a while, would have to be RAINCHECK. It is a slow, almost lounge type song where she could have easily used a piano as the instrument which makes it so amazing. The immediate catchy songs are ones like ORIGAMI and SWIM. Songs like BUBBLE come off as somewhat obnoxious at first but the third time you hear it, you will find yourself singing it throughout the day. Her poetry is nothing short of amazing, the way she speaks and the metaphors used are awesome. In the song COMPANY when she sings lyrics like "you made me sick to tears", I get chills. There is just something about that part of the song. When I first got the album, I was hooked to the catchy songs, but after a while, I fell in love with the slower ones and this cd hasn't left my player for a while. I suggest a purchase for anyone who wants to listen to GREAT music.
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