David Kronke: Hamell on Trial
Singer/songwriter Ed Hamell routinely spins funny, outrageous and outraged yarns, and in his latest recording, "Songs for Parents Who Enjoy Drugs," he uses the occasion of his recent fatherhood to explore the disconnect between family values and the current troubled political climate. In “Values,� he finds his kid unwilling to engage in any good behavior that politicians likewise eschew; in “Inquiring Minds,� Hamell finds the best way to answer his son’s pointed questions about his own, uh, colorful past is to, simply, lie. Some of it’s too cute, and some of it’s a bit obvious (particularly a song about Ann Counter, the title of which cannot be reproduced here), but it’s a lively, engaging outing. Hamell on Trial, whose live shows are energetic bursts of pure adrenaline, performs tonight at On the Rox, 9009 W. Sunset.
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