★★★★★
Having originally emerged with
- recordcollectormag.com
2014-05-22
★★★★★
At one angle, Michael Franti's career trajectory might seem unusual, or bizarre, even. That's if you take as your starting-off point the industrial-ish group the Beatnigs and the still somewhat industrial, more storytelling/politics-focused Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy. Set that next to the facts that Franti and Spearhead had a top 20 hit that's a favored cover of children's music acts (2008's "Say Hey (I Love You)") and that they're touring as the opening act for Train this summer...
- www.popmatters.com
2013-09-20
★★★★★
Michael Franti's evolution from pissed-off punk to flip-flop-wearing jam band man is fascinating because he's come off as sincere on either end, and with his 2013 release, he continues to confuse and sooth in equal measure. Good news is, the confused feeling fades once the sun-drenched, feel-good vibes of the latter sink in, with "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)" offering the most immediate relief from the drudgery of the day, coming off as a sing-along, clap-along, or whistle-along triple threat...
- www.allmusic.com
2013-09-23
★★★★★
Boo Boo Wax/Capitol Playing it safe has never been Michael Franti's style, even when he veers unexpectedly into polished, shiny-happy pop. All People, the eighth studio album by the San Francisco-based singer/songwriter with his longtime backing band Spearhead, still offers glimpses of the protect-the-underdog agenda that has inspired Franti since his first musings with The Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy in the early '90s, but as a piece of pop song craft, this outing is a radical move on...
- www.relix.com
2013-08-23
★★★★★
I always seem to say this when I review one of his albums, but it's been too long since we've spoken of Michael Franti. He's as much singer as rapper these days, but is honestly one of the few people other than Lauryn Hill who I believe is equally skilled at both - and enjoy either way. These days most audiences know him from his bubbly anthem to joy and relationships "Say Hey (I Love You)," but my first taste of him back in the early 1990's was as a protest rapper who was as much spoken word...
- rapreviews.com
2013-08-07
★★★★★
Grizzled fans of Michael Franti's formative punk rap (the Beatnigs, Disposable Heroes of Hiphoprisy) may flinch to hear him rhyme "Like Jay Z, Beyoncé/Come be my fiancée" amid Flo Rida-style whistling on "I'm Alive (Life Sounds Like)." But Franti's peace 'n' love MO has veered toward full-on jam pop for several years now, so mainstream-y anthems like the Euro-disco title track are really no big leap...
- www.rollingstone.com
2013-07-30
★★★★★
One of the few pop artists with a "health & fitness" page on his website, Michael Franti has always been driven by a missionary zeal that goes beyond the music. He is an outspoken peace activist-he took it upon himself to fly to Baghdad to witness the devastation of the Iraq occupation first-hand-and his reputation often precedes his creative work...
- www.americansongwriter.com
2013-04-25
★★★★★
Sound: The latest release from Michael Franti & Spearhead is really nothing out of the ordinary for this Oakland, CA native. Packed with both high-energy, danceable tunes and slower, soothing songs, All Rebel Rockers is a thoroughly enjoyable, feel-good album. Compared to Franti's earlier material with Spearhead, All Rebel Rockers has a softer, more relaxed feel to the album as a whole, with more of an emphasis on the music and lyrics rather than one's ability to wave their hands and dance...
- www.ultimate-guitar.com
2012-08-07
★★★★★
Michael Franti is a gift to the Wikipedia-editing pedant...
- www.bbc.co.uk
2011-05-16