DiFranco’s new, heartfelt album appeals to all

Ani DiFranco’s latest album, "Knuckle Down," is exactly what one would expect — but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Like her past albums, DiFranco’s lyrics in her latest collection are painful but heartfelt, sad but subtle and — above all — haunting. With the recent end of her marriage and a death in her family, DiFranco’s tone wreaks of a quiet depression as she comes to terms with love, loss and living on her own.

With this album, DiFranco had a lot of firsts. Her older albums had a more brassy sound, but this album is more of the string persuasion, due in part to her first-ever collaboration with co-producer, songwriter and guitarist Joe Henry. Henry was added to the credits of this album, along with many musicians recognizable to anyone who has followed DiFranco’s career. The appearance of these talents lends a new color to her urban-folk sound.

The opening track, "Knuckle Down," displays a classic DiFranco sound — simple, yet truthful and solemn. As most tracks on DiFranco’s CD, this one is ridden with slow, playful guitar melodies which is complimented by the artist’s husky voice. Similarly, "Manhole" and "Lag Time" give that same vibe. In "Modulation," DiFranco changes the melody mid-song so naturally and with a flair that only she could pull off.

In "Parameters," a personal favorite, DiFranco quietly delivers a spoken monologue to the strum of a guitar in the background. The poetic nature of this track — about a woman that comes home one night to find a stranger in her bedroom — adds a certain melancholy personality to the collection, and the perfect song to listen to when you’re feeling pensive and introspective.

If you aren’t a die-hard fan of DiFranco, this album is easy to approach with an open mind, and may even have you running out to the store to buy her older CDs. But, if you live and breathe DiFranco, you’ll be happy to know she has delivered yet another awesome collection of music.