Ani DiFranco: Canon

A sweeping snapshot of a musical institution

With two full discs diligently chronicling over 17 years of Ani DiFranco’s dense output, Canon at first feels like a lot to swallow, particularly since DiFranco is inevitably intimidating to the unfamiliar. People talk about her as though you have to be either with her or against her, and so those not yet among the rabid fanbase or enamored with her countercultural heft kind of shudder outside the door, wondering how or if to enter. Canon is a gift to this exact audience. Wading into this collection, DiFranco’s voice rings rich and inviting, and even if the clever twists and barbs of her lyrics wield an edge, she welcomes you into the gritty irony with an arresting smirk.