Albert Hammond, Jr. - Como Te Llama

Albert Hammond, Jr
Como Te Llama
Black Seal Records
Grade: A-

With the Strokes at various stages of permanent hiatus, guitar Albert Hammond, Jr has taken his energy and skills and developed a solid solo career. Hammond and his band offered up his 2007 debut Yours to Keep and the conclusion was that it didn’t sound just like the Strokes and that Hammond is a pretty good singer. Quickly on the heels of Yours to Keep comes this thirteen-track album that’s even tighter, cleaner, and better than the debut; that’s called moving in the ‘right direction’. Probably the one element that stands out is Hammond’s vocals – way stronger and drenched in fuzzy melodies. For love check out “In My Room,” “Gfc,” the awesome riffs of “The Boss Americana,” the sexy “Victory at Monterey,” the Strokes-like “You Won’t Be Fooled By This,” the quick strumming “G Up.” It appears that Albert Hammond, Jr doesn’t need the Strokes to continue on as a rock star.