DiFranco Steps Up Attack With Sonic Diversions

DiFranco is no revolutionary--her concerns are no different than those of many other singer-songwriters with a social agenda. What sets her apart is her attitude, which is refreshingly short on piety and sanctimony.

When the Buffalo, N.Y., native rails against economic injustice or institutionalized sexism, she forgoes puffed-up rancor in favor of a racy, street-smart vernacular that cuts to the heart of the matter with headstrong fervor.

On “Up . . .” (due in stores Tuesday), DiFranco doesn’t stray too far from subject matter that’s preoccupied her now for close to a decade. The album fluidly whipsaws from the personal to the political.

“ ‘Tis of Thee” is a moving stab at social sloganeering, as is “Trickle Down,” a kind of Springsteen-esque fanfare for the common man. The tender dirge “Come Away From It” finds DiFranco seeking salvation for a drug-addicted friend, while in “Angry Any More” the protagonist seeks reconciliation with her estranged parents.

In contrast to her previous albums, DiFranco doesn’t try to barrel over everything with her agitated guitar strumming. Here she successfully experiments with different arrangements and production techniques. “Come Away From It” and “Trickle Down” are smothered in moody guitar reverb, and the liquid bass line and rattling drums of “Know Now Then” hint at lo-fi slumming.

By expanding her production palette, DiFranco has made a CD that’s less like an ancillary byproduct of her incendiary live shows than an album that marks its own distinct sonic territory.

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