I'm a guy.

Which means I'm already at a disadvantage against the legions of disciples on a first-name basis with singer-songwriter Ani DiFranco. Like parents to Will Smith, I just don't understand.

But this isn't about winning or losing the so-called battle of the sexes. So, I forced myself to listen to upcoming album Educated Guess without bias to put aside such silly and outdated conventions as male and female.

And to be honest, I prefer Joni Mitchell.

Don't get me wrong: I did not dislike this album. It's got a folk vibe that's accentuated because DiFranco wrote, played, sang and produced every note and twang herself. You go, girl!

Though her dexterous guitar work is quite good, the rhythm changes aren't so much experimental as they are convulsive. Coupled with the lack of hooks and the rambling, convoluted poetry of the lyrics, many of the songs just wear down your attention span.

"Swim" manages to pull it off, and "Bliss Like This" is easily the cleanest, catchiest track on the album. DiFranco is definitely a wordsmith, but her musings go back and forth between the introspective and the political, so the overall message isn't very clear. Maybe that's where the educated guess is supposed to come in.

The album is good, but not great. I'm sure you die-hards out there won't be terribly disappointed; after all, there's plenty of material in her catalog to fall back on, and until the next masterpiece comes along, this should keep you busy with its quirks.

-- Reviewed by David Tatasciore