Search - Ani Difranco :: Little Plastic Castle

Sarah B. (FolkRockFan) from SEVEN POINTS, TX
Reviewed on 11/26/2006...

LPC is yet another example of Ani DiFranco's capabilty to grow both musically and lyrically. From simpler cuts like the title track to the haunting, echoing "Pulse," this is Ani at her finest.

Still the one to beat

Michael Moricz | Astoria NY | 12/07/2005

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Like some others who've posted here, I'm not necessarily an Ani-holic, but I have huge respect for her honesty and integrity, and the way she ran her career from a completely outsider approach into what is now a time-honored creative dynasty. She's not someone I listen to constantly, but I return to her regularly for a fix of the kind of blunt and exhilarating earnestness she represents.



That being said, I've always felt that after a certain point she just made too damn many CDs, so that at times musically she covered the same ground again and again. Try making a compilation sometime of your favorite Ani songs and you'll realize quickly just how many have the same tempo, the same key, the same basic structure and feel but (and this is the difference that saves them) new thoughts in the lyrics.



But LITTLE PLASTIC CASTLE probably is the best combination of all of Ani's best instincts along with the greatest variety in style, tempo and overall musical creativity. She also achieved a kind of unusual level of spontanteous vocal excitement on this album where she sounds even more intense and exuberant than her usual standard (which is always pretty intense!).



For me, this album and IMPERFECTLY are her two finest efforts, although I love many things scattered throughout all the rest of the CDs. If you are not already an Ani fan, this CD may be the best way "in," since if you don't like this one, I can't imagine you could generate much affection for Ani, who is so exuberantly accessible here."

Another quasi-masterwork

IRate | 02/18/2008

(3 out of 5 stars)

"3 1/2



DiFranco strives at creating consistent, edgy folk punk with a feminist slant, and although she has a distinguished career amongst her peers, has rarely created an album that engages full-throttle throughout. Little Plastic Castles is known as one of her stronger discs, and it does showcase her many talented styles of various acoustic alchemy with little effort. But only about half of the album's material truly stands the test of time, usually centering around DiFranco's excellent up-tempo numbers. Her talent for mesmerizing strum patterns in these songs simply outshines mid-tempo predictability coupled with (at times) strained vocals/lyrics or poetry-styled readings."