Hammell On Trial’s sophomore album on Righteous Babe Records brings the label’s maven Ani DiFranco into the fold as producer and background vocalist, and the change is apparent. Hammell fans will instantly hear it’s newly produced sound and combination of instruments added into the previously guitar-centric mix.
Fans of Hammell’s stark and intentionally offensive, in-your-face lyrics don’t have to fear: everything here remains in tact, from sex, to drugs, and through on to his version of folk and roll. Hammell’s lyrics remain politically centric, with the occasional tongue-in-cheek introspection and silly jokes pervading the balance of the songs written throughout his trip into fatherhood.
The disc begins with “Inquiring Minds,” a track influenced by his own child’s questions and the reality of raising children. The beat on this first track sets the different tone with a positive energy that doesn’t drown the song itself and leads to some foot tapping. “Heat” picks right up on that energy, which is then broken by the first interlude “Wheels,” a revision of “The Wheels on the Bus” by Hammell and child that contributes little to the disc.
Followed by a few less memorable tracks, including the borderline abhorrent “Hey Boss,” the disc continues with “Values,” another track dedicated to Hammell’s experience rearing children in our society. The beauty of this musically simple song is in the lyrics – the message here trumps everything else with its biting humor and truth that any progressive will nod their head to instantly. Another interlude is followed by “Jerkin,” a strictly adolescent masculine song about masturbation that doesn’t have the musical or lyrical composition to make it worth hearing.
The horror continues after another track and interlude with “Coulter’s Snatch,” a song that would make some sense if it wasn’t so idiotic. I’ve never been called conservative in my life, and as radical as I consider my frame of reference, I can’t help but wonder if “Coulter’s Snatch” is the reason that conservatives can dismiss liberals so easily. The message about the media distortion / distraction here is clear and important but this song loses its focus and sounds like a young child who just learned what the word “snatch” means. The disc wraps up with a few more unmemorable songs and misplaced interludes.
Hammell On Trial is a great live act with his immense amount of energy and passion, and even when he’s being absurdly inappropriate (sometimes for no reason whatsoever), he’s enjoyable. On record is another matter entirely. His lyrics are strictly adolescent and while much of the preaching here will strike the activist chord in everyone, the immaturity is simply impossible to get over enough to enjoy the record.
Offensiveness and inappropriateness are not as black and white as simply being uncomfortable with curses or sex – anything goes in music and that’s the beauty. Curses and sex are real and there is no reason they shouldn’t be there (read: censorship blows). The key is that there needs to be a reason. It’s the difference between breasts in the media for the sake of “T&A” versus nudity in the media for the sake of displaying comfort with the body and even someone’s expression. Hammell, sadly, can’t get beyond the “in your face” immaturity of the “T&A,” a hang up which slaughters much of the lyrical substance, musical energy, and passion that Hammell could bring to the record. |