Albert Hammond Jr.

Albert Hammond, Jr. has made a pop/rock album. It will never earn a spot on Rolling Stone’s 500 Greatest Albums list (or any other such list, for that matter), but it is not boring. In fact, I’d say it’s mostly entertaining. And that’s accomplishment enough.

Most people reading this probably know who Albert Hammond, Jr. is or at least will immediately be somewhat familiar with his background upon discovering the nature of his day job—that is, playing guitar in The Strokes, one of the biggest musical hype magnets of the last ten years. Perhaps Mr. Hammond’s fans are also well aware of his musical heritage, as his father Albert Hammond, Sr. was a prominent singer/songwriter in the 1960s and ’70s, penning songs like “It Never Rains in Southern California” and “To all the Girls I’ve Loved Before.”

Given such a solid musical background, it’s hard not to place a certain set of expectations on ¿Cómo Te Llama?, Hammond’s second solo effort. And, for the most part, the album meets those expectations.

Unlike his father, Albert Jr. is not an especially gifted songwriter. Despite their exceedingly interesting titles, my favorite being “Feed me Jack or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying And Love Peter Sellers” (which, as far as I can tell, has nothing to do with the venerable comedian/actor), Hammond’s compositions are bland at best in the lyrical department. But—and part of me can’t believe I’m saying this—that’s mostly okay. For once I partially agree with the camp of pop scholars and critics who say that lyrics don’t matter in popular music. In this particular situation, we have an album predicated almost solely on creative arrangement and production. And it works. It’s almost as if Hammond realizes his lyrical weakness, as his voice is often pushed relatively far back in the mix, pushing the instruments to the forefront. So it really doesn’t matter that Hammond repeats the line “Oh my rocket/ Oh my rocket/ Oh” over and over in the aptly titled “Rocket.” He makes no pretenses at being a brilliant songwriter but rather sticks to what he does best—namely, playing guitar and producing.

And he really does do those two things well. Right off the bat, the listener is given a generous earful of pop delight with “Bargain of a Century,” ¿Cómo Te Llama?’s first and best song (tip: when deciding on a song sequence for your album, consider the consequences of putting your best song first). While the vocal melody and lyrics are perhaps sub par, the tune is redeemed completely by the various instrumental fills and countermelodies and, of course, a brilliant and tasteful guitar solo giving the listener a lesson in the teleology of single-coil pickups.

Other standout tracks include “Miss Myrtle” and “Borrowed Time,” both of which incorporate reggae styling to create sunny pop tunes perfect for summer roadtripping.  And, of course, there’s “Victory at Monterrey.”  Perhaps the second-best song on the album, this number combines a dance groove, an angular bass line, and haunting explosions of noise from a distressed amp with spring reverb to create a moodier composition that balances out some of ¿Cómo Te Llama?’s more happy-go-lucky moments.

Now, ¿Cómo Te Llama? is certainly not without blemish. “The Boss Americana,” for instance, is Hammond’s attempt at a harder-hitting rock song which is almost as formulaic as a Jell-O Jiggler. Hammond also apparently felt obligated to include a repetitive and unnecessarily long instrumental number entitled “Spooky Couch” which sounds like sappy background music from a Fox Searchlight film.

But really, the positive of ¿Cómo Te Llama? certainly outweighs the negative. Hammond has given us a collection of well-crafted pop tunes that, while never prompting deep intellectual ponderings, never claim to do so. And while his lack of literary prowess may disappoint or even enrage some, it’s important to remember that pop songs are not (or at least don’t have to be) poems. Sometimes, it’s okay to just bob your head, stomp your feet, and perhaps break out the air guitar to some excellent pop music.

Highlight Track: “Bargain of a Century”

Sorry, the comment form is closed at this time.