Album Review: Yell Fire

Returning from a visit to war-torn regions of Iraq, Israel and Palestine in 2004, Michael Franti first put together a documentary called I Know I'm Not Alone, before deciding that the film required a musical accompaniment, hence the creation of Yell Fire!, Franti's most socially conscious album to date. Coming from the man responsible of the Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy that's a bold claim, but somewhat ironically, the trips to Baghdad, the West Bank and the Gaza Strip have inspired Franti to create his most uplifting set of songs to date.

As he approaches 40, Franti no longer exudes the rage which marked his earlier albums as a member of The Beatnigs, but that doesn't prevent him using Yell Fire! to drive home important matters like the precarious state of the planet and those who've rendered it so, the fragile condition of human relationships and the urgency with which people need to repair them.

Against the thread of righteous positivity, universal unification of spirit and aphoristic pacifism, Yell Fire! is stacked with deep grooves: the opening Time To Go Home, Everyone Ona Move and Light Up Ya Lighter all exhibit Franti's revolutionary attitude and contemplative lyrics, while featuring Spearhead's enriching cadence.

While the title track and Time To Go Home are calls to action, other songs such as I Know I'm Not Alone (an inspirational volley of hope), One Step Closer To You, which features a soulful backing vocal performance by Pink, and the beautiful Is Love Enough?, all tap into the album's compassionate side.

Yell Fire! succeeds in blurring the lines between Franti's worldview and his music so sufficiently, it makes it difficult to imagine one existing without the other. A tendency to raise the level of his vocals in the mix can leave Spearhead's reggae/funk/dancehall/hip-hop amalgams rather shadowed by their leader, but what Franti is saying here needs to be heard.