Albert Hammond Jr.
Yours To Keep
New Line
Does Albert Hammond Jr.’s solo work sound just like The Strokes? Does the guitarist, who makes up one half of the uniquely jangly fuzz guitar sounds in the band that helped knock the ‘N Syncs and Britneys of the world off the charts, have anything original to contribute that hasn’t already been put out there on the subsequent three Strokes albums? And, more to the point, can the dude sing?
Yes to all of those concerns!
The 10 songs (and two bonus cover songs) the curly-haired man in the vintage suits has revealed to the world sound more like The Beach Boys at their best than another Strokes clone. Yes, the guitars are similar, but that’s to be expected. Surprising are the sunny melodies and the sweet voice that sings these even sweeter lyrics. If The Strokes is a late night/get drunk/pass out band, Albert Hammond Jr. is for the following sunny day on your drive home.
“Everyone Gets A Star” is quite literally a contender for one of the best songs of this upcoming year. And the fact that he concludes the disc with a Buddy Holly cover (“Well … All Right”) is a further salute to Hammond Jr.’s roots in pop music. Embrace the pop, love the melody, have fun with this music… and don’t expect it to sound like Is This It?.
New Line Records: http://www.newlinerecords.com
