“Albert Hammond, Jr.” is an independent pop/rock artist from Los Angeles, California. He plays the guitar and his favorite guitar instruments are the Fender Stratocaster and the Gibson Les Paul. He is also a guitarist for the indie rock band, The Strokes. When he’s with The Strokes, he often plays rhythm guitar. As he ventures into his solo career as a side project, he still plays a similar musical soundscape to The Strokes, a bit of garage and indie pop rock.
Como Te Llama opens with a very guitar “Negotiation of a century”. The first few seconds, I can hear the bass like I’m running in an open field. Once the music comes on, you can hear the banjo starting to play. When Albert Hammond, Jr. takes the stage, he sings with a voice without energy. The guitar did a really good job helping out on this track. Well, that’s how Albert Hammod, Jr. sings, right? Very similar to the style of Julián Casablancas. 🙂
“In my room” it’s a livelier track. The initial guitar shows a certain rock sense. Albert Hammond, Jr. will sing, and the guitar will follow, complementing each other. From here, the rhythm of the music also shows some similarities to the music of The Strokes. When the chorus comes, Albert says: “I miss you already…”. The second verse of In My Room takes a livelier, more energetic approach, and then the whole song continues. The last 30 seconds you can also hear some organ sounds improvising with the guitar sounds. A great way to end! 😀
“smooth” it has a steady start where you can hear the music getting fuller as the seconds go by. It starts with the drums, and then a wonderful bass line follows, then there’s the guitar that sounds like it’s playing on a superimposed loop. A few seconds after Albert Hammond, Jr. walks in for the verse, the piano just came through with a four note sound that goes great with Lisa. It’s really nice to hear the piano keep doing that throughout the track. Lisa has moments of hers where the guitars and the piano sound really catchy. During the break, she brings in the violin and transforms Lisa from a catchy tune to an emotional tune. I would say this song is like eating you slowly… Really sweet and cute here! 😉
“GFC” It sounds really nice at the beginning with the characteristic guitar work of Albert Hammond, Jr. And when the chorus comes, I like the bass that plays in the background while Albert keeps singing. GfC’s verse builds the tempo and rhythm, and only shows Albert’s whooping and screaming in the chorus. After the second chorus, the guitar solo can be heard before GfC ends similar to how it opens. This is really good! 🙂
“The American Boss” it begins with some slow, heavy guitar work before Albert Hammond, Jr. enters into the verse. This song is a bit strong compared to the previous four songs. The guitar riff in the verse has some 90s elements that remind me of 90s rock songs. The chorus, on the other hand, is softer where Albert says, “I won’t know, if I don’t ask you to stay, you’d let me go and I’ll get away with it…” 🙂
the first few seconds of “Rockets” it will make you think that this is going to be an explosive track. As the marching drums roll in, Albert Hammond, Jr. keeps repeating, “Oh, my rocket…” At some points in this song, some howling can be heard here and there. Before the second verse, the guitar licks coming in are really good. It stands out for rhythm and music. This song is kind of heavy and slow, like a slow rock track. 🙂
“Victory in Monterey” it has a very groovy bass line accompanied by a space-like soundscape. When the chorus arrives, the guitar and bass work like bread and butter. It just gives the impression that Victory At Monterey is shifting into another gear and at a different level of speed. The bass on this track is also sexy, after a while you’d think you’re listening to some dance/electronica track in a club. It makes you want to get up and dance. Victory At Monterey is a track not to be missed, Albert Hammond, Jr. just hit it with this piece of music. Hopefully I can have more of this… 🙂
“You won’t be fooled by this” It is a song that has clear guitar riffs. Albert Hammond, Jr.’s singing is often drowned out by the sound of the guitar. Echoic guitar is very consistent from start to finish. Only in the chorus, where Albert becomes repetitive, “Don’t be fooled by this…”, the music changes slightly where the guitar plays another note that sounds much lighter. The violin also makes a guest appearance in the second chorus and in the last 30 seconds, the group howls are really a standout on You Won’t Be Fooled By This. I love the ending! 😉
“Creepy Couch” is an instrumental track over seven minutes long. It has a dreamlike soundscape that would make you think as if you were in a dream world. The guitar on this track just fades in and out as the track flows. Spooky Couch doesn’t sound like the title suggests, to me it’s just beautiful. 🙂 Sean Lennon is a featured guest on this track where he plays the piano. All together, they make Spooky Couch one of the most beautiful tracks on the album. The remaining 1:30 minutes will simply blow your mind, so feel really indulged in Spooky Couch. A surprise from Albert Hammond, Jr. Heartwarmingly beautiful! 😀
“borrowed time” is a reggae style track, which brings you the atmosphere and feeling of the beautiful Hawaiian island. The keyboards on this track work closely with the guitar, creating a unique sound between them. As the chorus rolls in, the track picks up the tempo and Albert Hammond, Jr. just howls and groans. Without much singing, Borrowed Time is just another good track. 🙂
“Gossip” continues with guitar work that really sounds like The Strokes. Even the way Albert Hammond, Jr. sings reminds me of The Strokes. The guitar on this track barely stops and rests, it just keeps playing very consistently. I pay more attention to the music and rhythm of this track than to Albert’s singing. If you listen carefully, the guitar on this track sounds like a fast version of a reggae guitar. Fierce but soft. 🙂
“Miss Myrtle” It has a very good guitar sound. It allows you to relax with the music itself. While Albert Hammond, Jr. sings, the guitar only helps Albert with the repetitive strumming of the guitar. The process of it is very good. As the chorus comes on, the whole track gets louder and the guitar riff you hear at the beginning returns and Albert’s singing follows. It is simple, but very good. A happy track for anyone who wants to brighten their day. 😀
“Feed Me Jack Gold: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Peter Sellers” is the latest song from Como Te Llama. Albert Hammond, Jr. decided to have a ballad to close the album. This track begins with the piano and is soon joined by the violin as Albert continues to sing. Perhaps this is the song we see Albert sing from his heart and with passion. As the end nears, Albert screams as the music picks up and fades out. Another way to end the night. 😉