“Revelling/Reckoning” Ani Difranco Compare to: Fiona Apple, Tracy Chapman, Sarah McLachlan ** 1/2

Two discs. Two moods. And two distinct musical personalities. All of these are apparent on punk folker Ani Difranco’s latest Righteous Babe Records release, “Revelling/ Reckoning.”

The queen of DIY had put out a full-length album every year since 1991, so the lack of an album last year meant that big things were probably happening – like a double album, for example.

Immediately, “Revelling” seems well worth the extra year’s wait. The first disc swings and swells, and guest star and saxophonist Maceo Parker appears on some of the funkiest tracks Difranco has offered to date.

“Ain’t That the Way” is a far cry from Difranco’s past, stripped-down folk-punk tunes. If the song is any indication of the direction she plans to go, the folk goddess could find herself collaborating with hip-hop and R&B artists Common and Macy Gray.

Parker ditches his saxophone in “Ain’t That the Way,” instead providing sweet background vocals that complement Difranco’s hip-hop-esque singing.

“I gotta beeline double time/ leave home sweet home for your honeycomb,” she sings with a distinctly jazz scat-like voice that almost communicates more than the lyrical content.

Parker’s trademark saxophone reappears on “What How When Where (Why Who),” adding to the already distinctly jazz feel of “Revelling.” Difranco’s 1999 release, “To the Teeth,” featured the occasional horns, but “Revelling” makes them an integral part of her music.

Were the album to end with the last track of “Revelling,” this would be one of Difranco’s finest releases. However, there is still the “Reckoning” to consider.

As is the case with many double albums, Difranco’s latest release could have been cut in half and saved listeners and fans from wading through the lyrically beautiful but musically boring second disc.

All the energy and funk of the first disc are nowhere to be found during “Reckoning,” a slower, quieter (and distinctly less interesting) record.

The uniform sound causes tracks to run together, and the simple, clever lyrics of tracks such as “Old Old Song” are lost.

“It’s a story as common as a penny, son/ I don’t think it’s worth anything to anyone,” Difranco sings during a tale of common family troubles. However, the lyrics could refer to the entire content of the second disc, which sadly begins to sound like every folk girl singer who has ever graced a coffee shop.