The words come rushing one after the other, wrapped in the tender embrace of Ani DiFranco’s voice. The track is ‘Fire Door’ the opening cut on Canon, a 36-track career retrospective. The song’s headlong hurtling towards meaning is symptomatic of DiFranco, an artist who, throughout her career, has always seemed in such a rush to express herself, to give voice to causes personal, political and cultural. This retrospective offers a timely opportunity to take breath, allowing the casual fan an opportunity to sample the breadth of the prolific New Yorker’s extensive back catalogue.
Of course, casual is not a term you’d associate with DiFranco or her fans. She is, after all, an artist whose music is highly politicised and profoundly emotional – tackling, as it does, issues such as racism, sexism, abortion and war. Indeed, part of her great charm is the contrast between her beguiling folksy beauty, and the lyrically heavy message.
What’s so impressive about DiFranco is that she never appears to be sermonising, rather that she is simply seeking to communicate some deeply felt belief. It’s genuine and affecting, and though her 16-year career has yielded little in terms of commercial success, she remains a much respected and cherished artist.
Gathered here alongside favourites such as ‘Buildings and Bridges’, ‘Coming Up’ and ’32 Flavours' are new studio versions of five tracks including ‘Your Bold Next Move’ and ‘Napoleon’. A delight for completists and novices alike, Canon is, above all, a fine testament to the staying power of Ani DiFranco.