Ani needed that break. First off, the songwriting is still impeccable. She's a natural at mincing simple phrasing with crisp, clean guitar picking. The Revelling's funky sounds are the yin to Reckoning's softer, more introspective yang. It's a balance that's been played with before by Ani, but never so developed.
Double discs are usually indulgent wastes of recording space.
If longevity translated into success, Alejandro Escovedo would be as rich as a Colombian drug lord. But while it's earned him a dedicated following, Escovedo has never really had a reason to change tax brackets. And while A Man Under the Influence is smooth and seductive, it's not going to make the IRS take notice. The songs are solid, sure, with Escovedo's sweet and twangy croon leading the way. But this is a disc for the converted.