Ani Difranco - Allergic to Water

Ani DiFranco's 24th solo album finds the "righteous babe" in contemplative mode after giving birth to her second child. Drawing inspiration from her adopted home of New Orleans, DiFranco crafts some of her most beguiling work by delving further into jazz on tracks like the horn-laden "Harder Than it Needs to Be" and walking bass-driven "Dithering." However, her core acoustic singer/songwriter appeal remains intact, as a song like "See See See See" finds DiFranco at her most personal and direct, with little more than her voice and rhythmic staccato strums used to optimal effect.