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Taken from AL.com (Mar 09, 2007)
Franti varies in genre, tempo, but never in energy, sincerity
by JIM DUNN, For The Birmingham News
Accoustic song with Michael and Manas.
Taken from Trendski's Yell Fire Tour slideshow |
The WorkPlay stage set with camo netting and sirens would have clued in anyone new to Michael Franti and Spearhead that there was a strong likelihood of hearing music with a message Wednesday night. Boy bands and Nashville hat acts don't generally go in for a wartime motif.
The full house did get songs filled with more global message than the typical three-minute pop love song or hip-hop single. But while Franti and his band don't spare the lyrical sermonizing, they also don't hold back on the musical wizardry.
Franti, bassist Carl Young, drummer Manas Itene, keyboardist Raliegh J. Neal II and especially guitarist Dave Shul expertly meld hip-hop, rock, R&B, reggae and anything else that struck their musical fancy into an ever-changing but always satisfying sonic buffet. Songs like "Time to Go Home," "Sometimes," "Taxi Radio" and "Is Love Enough?" varied in genre or tempo, but never lacked energy and sincerity, and Franti's versatile baritone neatly handled all the styles.
Of course, even if one agrees with a lengthy set of songs filled with protest and calls to action, it's easy to tire of those songs if all they have to offer is message. Agreement has its limits, and chances are not everyone at WorkPlay agreed completely with all of Franti's generally left-wing sentiments.
But what elevates Franti's performance beyond the preachy and makes him palatable to even those with differing political views is the fact that his song lyrics are wrapped in that excellent musicianship. It's hard to disagree with someone's songs when those songs are infectiously danceable and generally working their way into one's mental rhythm appreciation module.
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