Big as Life

Produced by Jeff Cole, Big as Life was recorded in Austin, Texas, in a warehouse room above the Electric Lounge club.[7][8][9] Alejandro Escovedo helped Hamell with the demos.[10] Hamell played a 1937 Gibson on the album.[11] The instrumentation consists of guitar, sometimes accompanied by violin or bass.[12]

"Blood of the Wolf" is about a childhood friend who attempted to rob a Kentucky Fried Chicken with a fork.[13] A cover of "Folsom Prison Blues" appears as an unlisted track.[14]

Professional ratings

Review scores
Source	Rating
AllMusic	[15]
Robert Christgau	[16]
Deseret News	[14]
MusicHound Rock: The Essential Album Guide	[10]

The Tulsa World wrote that Hamell's "voice is militaristic, clipped, strident; his guitar—a 1937 small-body Gibson—is wired, alive, wincing to hold up to Hamell's infernal strumming."[17] Robert Christgau praised "Z-Roxx" and the title track.[16] The Dallas Observer stated that Hamell "destroys the perception of the self-serious acoustic folkie who believes wisdom lies in glib aphorism and weepy revelation."[18]

Entertainment Weekly determined that "what sounds thrilling on stage comes off as rushed and overbaked on record."[19] The Indianapolis Star commended the "intriguing if creepy stories."[20] The Record concluded that "Hamell combines explosive punk-edged fury and a scathing acoustic guitar style ... with poetic lyrics that are sometimes humorous, sometimes upsetting, sometimes poignant but always edged with a razor-sharp honesty."[21]

AllMusic wrote that Hamell "combined the best elements of the one-man-band storytelling tradition with an aggressive, hyper-rhythmic acoustic guitar attack that absolutely demanded attention."[15] The Austin Chronicle deemed the album "six cups of coffee and two hits of crystal meth—frenzied."[22]