An urban folk odyssey that can‰’t decide what it is

The latest from anti-folk hero Hamell On Trial starts with a one two punch of six minute stories, the first a sermon on the redemptive virtues of rock and roll (“Artist In America‰Û), the second, the title track, a parable about how the happiest people are the ones with nothing to lose. The naturalistic production gives the tunes a live-in-a-coffee-shop feel and sets the listener up for a largely acoustic, good humored yet fist-raising trip through a bohemian rock and roll fantasy. Unfortunately, this doesn‰’t necessarily come to be. The rest of the album is more generously produced, not always for the better; Hamell‰’s jokey voice undermines the earnest Springsteenianism of songs like “Bobby And The Russians,‰” and even when the songwriting is more straight-faced, the production sounds like it was stuck in 1999. By and large, Hamell seems like he has something to say and is able to blend humor and a message in songs like “Gods at Odds “ and “Whores,‰” but its hard to thake them seriously when their right next to schlocky tunes like “Together‰” and “Mom‰’s Hot.‰” The Happiest Man Alive is a sonically solid album, but it‰’s schizophrenic tone and dated vibe take a bit away from the experience.

RIYL: Country Joe McDonald, Ani DiFranco, Captain Matchbox Whoopee Band
Recommended: 1, 2, 9, 10