Ani DiFranco “Evolve” (Righteous Babe)

Compare to: Mary Lou Lord, Liz Phair, Sinead O’Connor

Rating: 6

Staying in the same place wouldn’t be Ani DiFranco’s style.

Her latest release, “Evolve,” is exactly what the title suggests — another step forward for one of music’s most independent artists.

DiFranco has been approached by several major record labels throughout her career but chooses to stay with her own label, Righteous Babe Records.

If her latest work is any indication, the added freedom of producing, publishing and releasing her own music has given DiFranco the ability to flow from one style to another without ever losing her folk edge.

It’s obvious this album is rich with the trademark coffee shop feel and sound prevalent on DiFranco’s older works. She is, and always will be, a folk singer with the face of a punk, and the roots-filled vibe of early albums like “Not So Soft” is still evident.

But “Evolve” also braves some new ground, building on the jazz-influenced rhythms hinted at but never explored on later albums like “Imperfectly” and “Little Plastic Castle.” DiFranco lays the groundwork for a sound that is also jazz-influenced.

DiFranco’s unique ability to deliver political and human interest commentary and satire permeates her latest work. Unlike other musicians whose attempts at social outspeak come across as arrogant, DiFranco takes global issues and matches them with a sweet and beautiful sound, bringing poetry to life.

The often spoken nature of her lyrics and sound seem at first to place DiFranco on a pedestal above the common man, but a more in-depth listen proves she is as blue-collar and down-to-earth as the subjects of her songs.

Although pretentious at times, “Evolve” is music with a message. With a voice and lyrics that can rock the boat one minute and the cradle the next, DiFranco has a sound no major-label artist could replicate.

— Laura Willcoxon

Merauder “Bluetality” (Century Media)

Compare to: Madball, Biohazard, Nailbomb

Rating: 4 1/2

When someone cues up a Merauder album, hardcore fans know exactly what to expect — even-paced, pounding metalcore with gut-wrenching vocals.

Aside from a few very long hiatuses between albums, the New York outfit has been pumping out brutal music since the early ’90s. Merauder’s dormancy between albums has become a part of its legacy. From their initial release to modern day recordings, the members have forced fans to wait an average of four years for a follow-up to each album. Each time, however, Merauder returned with a sound more than worth the wait. Therefore, when Merauder joined forces with Dave Chavarri of Ill Ni¤o on drums to produce “Bluetality,” fans were expecting nothing but great hardcore.

“Bluetality” is a disappointment. From the opening track of “No Warning” to the strangely odd close of “Underground Girl,” the once-powerful and aggressive Merauder style is now a memory. “No Warning” entices listeners with signature Brooklyn metalcore, harsh vocals and angst-filled lyrics. The beginning of the track turns from average to poor when dominating, rough vocals suddenly turn to a yodel, leaving the listener confused.

The final two tracks left me dumbfounded and scouring the album insert to find if Merauder even produced the content. “Underground Girl” was so out of place for the production, I searched the Internet to find a song with identical lyrics to chalk up the travesty to a bad choice of a cover song. I only discovered a Blondie hit with the same name.

Nonetheless, the album still contains some tracks with the same even-paced sound and forceful breakdowns that made Merauder famous. Tracks like “Believe” and “Bleeding Wounds” have a sound New York hardcore fans can admire. Unfortunately, the few good tracks are overshadowed by mediocre or, in some cases, extremely poor musical performances.

— Greg Rice

Evanescence “Fallen” (Wind-up)

Compare to: Over the Rhine, 38th Parallel, Tori Amos

Rating: 8

If moviegoers weren’t awed by Ben Affleck’s mad peanut-throwing skills displayed in the film “Daredevil,” they at least felt their blood flowing a little faster as the character of Elektra Natchios beat the sand out of a bunch of dummies to the powerful sounds of “Bring Me To Life,” the first single off Evanescence’s debut, “Fallen.”

A goth-rock band with catchy melodies and hopeful lyrics seems at first to be an oxymoron, but this Arkansas-bred menagerie manages to retain a feeling of desolate darkness without completely becoming the suicide-attempting pitymongers that plague the genre.

Clich‚-ridden songs like “Tourniquet” cry out messages like “I’m dying, praying, bleeding, and screaming,” but are contrasted every once in awhile by positive imagery. In the chorus of “Imaginary,” vocalist Amy Lee sings, “In my field of paper flowers/ And candy clouds of lullaby/ I lie inside myself for hours/ And watch my purple sky over me.” The overall message is positive, but the words never become too sugary.

“My Immortal,” a piano ballad also featured on the Daredevil soundtrack, could be mistaken for a song by Sarah McLachlan, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

The production style on most of the edgier tracks resembles that of Linkin Park, which should invoke mixed feelings from listeners.

Lee’s soulful, angelic vocals are consistent throughout the album, complimenting both the heavier alt-rock tracks and the more tranquil tunes. Although the guitar riffs come off as hackneyed at times, what Evanescence delivers is fresh in comparison to the music currently dominating the charts.

Evanescence could go one of two ways at this point. In the first scenario, “Bring Me To Life” will be chewed up and swallowed into the proverbial stomach of MTV and pop radio, where overplayed singles go.

Will Evanescence dissipate quickly, as its name suggests? Only God (and Clear Channel radio) knows.

— Andrew Mabe