The second album from The Strokes’ guitarist-writer Albert Hammond, Jr. is ¿Cómo Te Llama? (Spanish for ‘What’s your name?, roughly’); a summery, string-laden effort, reaching from reggae beats to Kinks pop. Apart from a handful of tracks, it could be passed off as the next Strokes LP – just needing some Valensi guitar wails and Casablancas crooning.
Sure, the ‘guitarist-writer from The Strokes’ label could equally impede and promote Hammond, Jr; a profusely talented musician in his own right, yet he manages to strike a balance between being ‘the not-hot Stroke’ and a classically trained musician capable of his own successes.
Since what many feared was the demise of The Strokes – lauded as rock’s renaissance revolutionaries – Albert Hammond, Jr. sauntered off to create his debut solo LP Yours To Keep, a mediocre, predominantly acoustic affair worthy of some excitement. His second album was recorded in just five weeks in Greenwich Village’s Electric Lady Studios, alongside bassist Josh Lattanzi (of Lemonheads and Ben Kweller fame), drummer Matt Romano (The Strokes’ drum technician), and guitarist Marc Philippe Eskanazi (The Mooney Suzuki). Each brought their own influences and personality to CTL, from folk to new wave. Says Albert, “I love sharing my music with these tasty motherf*ckers!”
Opener Bargain Of The Century and Lisa could easily have been scooped off the Room On Fire production room floor, jangly epics complete with Casablancas-esque droning verses. Second track In My Room is magnificently layered with riffs and basslines worth shaking around to, whilst first single GfC channels Guided By Voices and Beach Boys, falsetto and guitarmanship included. Bliss.
Power-pop extraordinaire The Boss Americana puts Weezer’s last decades’ worth of work to shame, and kooky pulsing ‘water feature’ instrumental Spooky Couch (with guest piano by Sean Lennon) provides a welcome mid-record change of pace. Personal favourites Borrowed Time and Rocket summon The Clash’s reggae influences and The Cars’ marching drums, respectively. More Strokes signature sounds can be heard on tracks You Won’t Be Fooled By This and G Up, as well as one or two smug “oohs”. Ode to Franz Ferdinand Victory At Monterey seems out of place (and bracing for a remix?), yet is a slow-burning track that grows on the listener.
As a whole, ¿Cómo Te Llama? is an upbeat, riff-heavy album with shadows of classics such as The Clash, The Kinks, Guided By Voices and Neil Young; all extraordinary influences to pay homage to. As witness to Hammond, Jr’s maturation as a songwriter and guitarist, here’s hoping that his ingenious and experience resonates throughout The Strokes’ long-time-coming fourth studio album.
