DiFranco will probably have a great laugh at the critics' expense while they debate how the hype has affected her, why the new album is happy, why the package is so glossy. It's right there in the title track; "People talk about my image, like I come in two dimensions/Like lipstick is a sign of my declining mind/Like what I happen to be wearing the day someone takes a picture is my new statement for all of womankind." General wisdom in the "indie aesthetic" is that image doesn't matter. So why should it matter if the image looks glossy?

That said, this is DiFranco's happiest sounding album to date. The infectious horns of the title track, the laughter in her voice on "Fuel," and the sweetness of "As Is" bring out the underlying warmth in DiFranco's lyrics and arrangements. With its straightforward beat, wavering electric guitar, and whimsical vocals, "Deep Dish" could almost be a dance single. It might sound more like Annie Lennox than Ani DiFranco.

Still, Ani is, as ever, the lovable curmudgeon of albums past. "Gravel," "Independence Day," and "Two Little Girls" still discuss the foibles of love, betrayal, and friendship, stripping emotion down to pure honesty. Her hyperkinetic acoustic guitar is ever present, still the most effective weapon in her arsenal, next to her lyrical abilities. It's hard to think of an artist so deft at revealing the pathos of relationships, whether between lovers or friends or both.

If people are paying attention, they'll see that Little Plastic Castle isn't as much of a departure for Ani DiFranco as it might seem at first. The package may be a little daunting at first, but it's not what you buy the album for anyway, is it?