Following up 2006’s Reprieve with a new album of Ani diFranco’s look at the world around her, Red Letter Year is upbeat and fiercely independent.  That’s just what we have come to expect from the woman who has refused to auction her soul to sell records by independently developing her own distribution.  That determination reverberates back into the lyrics of her songs, always revealing one who will live in this world but only in her own way.  There may be rules but not all are enforceable.

On her latest, Red Letter Year, Ani diFranco takes stock of more personal chains that are worn.  By doing so, she frees herself even further by throwing off those self-imposed shackles formed by societal norms and expectations.  On her excellent”Present/Infant,” she zeroes in on the issue of personal vanity fears.  By the end of the song, she has allowed a child to pass on a lesson in love that surpasses those cares with a realization that “…love is all over the place.”  This is continued in songs like “Smiling Underneath,” “Way Tight,” and “Star Matter.” 

DiFranco hasn’t forsaken other issues.  Her concern is still evident in songs like “Good Luck,” and “The Atom.”  All of this makes Red Letter Year a well-rounded Ani diFranco release.

Red Letter Year is musically stronger than her last few releases.  The songs are structured more fully.  They are well polished and applied to the lyrics to make very good songs that stand up well to anything released today.  Nevertheless, she still likes the live jam as heard on the jazzy “Red Letter Year Reprise” before it ends with in-studio chatter.

The cathartic effect of this album is amazing.  Listeners can derive strength from what Ani has imparted through her lyrics.  The birth of her child has enhanced Ani’s view on her life in several ways.  It is refreshing to hear her anger become declarations of new outlooks.  A child can do that for you.  It will be good to hear Ani change further as her child grows.  In a way, we have grown with Ani diFranco over the years and albums.  We have seen what makes her pissed and we now see what makes her melt.

Ani diFranco wants Red Letter Year to stand out, evident by the qualitative strength of each song.  She succeeded.  Red Letter Year is her best work in several years.