To the Teeth does not remain silly for long. "Hello Birmingham" is a dialogue between Buffalo and Birmingham, two cities recently targeted by pro-life terrorists. DiFranco's social commentary waxes over vital and relevant points, though she often finds herself grappling with similar issues again and again: violence against women, homophobia, the right to choose, drug abuse and workers' rights. Her criticism is always painfully accurate, but rarely preachy or repetitive. Despite some of the musical near-misses she has encountered while pumping out a surging stream of albums, DiFranco remains innovative and consistent on To the Teeth. She proves that she has not lost her spicy political bite but rather provides her listeners with more to chew on than ever. A-