Hamell on Trial – Tough Love

Ed Hamell has lost none of his edge in the three years since he released Choochtown. His latest, Tough Love, has all the hallmarks that made Hamell on Trial a cult favorite—crime noir stories, punk-folk political statements and lilting ballads mixed in for good measure—all delivered with as much raw emotion as possible. Hamell’s goal has always been to make a bold statement, and it’s hard to top the way he opens the album on “Don’t Kill”—speaking as the voice of God explaining the first commandment to a wayward planet. A good fit for Ani DiFranco’s Righteous Babe label.