Wielding his acoustic guitar like a machine gun and tossing words and ideas around like grenades, Hamell on Trial is a high-intensity performer who writes and sings about sex, love, politics, near-death experiences, God, drug dealers, road trips, and just about anything else that enters his brain. On Tough Love, Ed Hamell captures the frenetic energy of his live act in a carefully crafted recording which also stands on its own. The result is an excellent introduction to an artist whose work defies easy categorization.